


More at Eleven

by TwistedRocketPower



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Humor, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-12-06 22:12:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 26,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11609994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwistedRocketPower/pseuds/TwistedRocketPower
Summary: Phil Lester, the most beloved meteorologist at Southeast News, isn't sure of many things in his life. One thing he is sure of, however, is that he absolutely hates the new entertainment news anchor, Dan Howell.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I like to write something light when I'm writing dramatic stories, so this is that. I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!
> 
> Also, I made up the news station so sorry for the crappy name!

Phil Lester wasn’t sure of many things in his life. Yes, he had a successful career that he enjoyed. He was well on his way to becoming the lead meteorologist at Southeast News, where he had been working for the last six years. He had moved to Florida with an internship at the news station, and had been a successful part of the group ever since. He got a full time position within three months, which was quicker than anyone they’d ever seen.

Still, besides his work life, he wasn’t sure of much else. He didn’t really have a social life. Most of the people he worked with were older than him, with families and friends of their own. He wasn’t the most social person in the world. He prefered to spend his time off at home, eating pizza and watching TV, or playing video games.

He’d often take every bit of overtime that was offered to him as a way to stay at work longer. He loved his job. He had always been fascinated with the weather growing up, and that didn’t disappear as he became an adult. His co-workers called him a workaholic. He didn’t see it that way though. Because, even though he was getting paid, and technically it was a job, it wasn’t one to him. It was just his life, and he loved it.

 

“You’re late!” Joanna, who considered herself Phil’s surrogate mother, said as Phil walked into the station.

“I’m twenty minutes early!”

“That’s late for you.”

Phil rolled his eyes. “Traffic.”

“At almost ten o’clock at night?”

“That festival thing starts tomorrow,” Phil replied. “Everyone’s trying to get here for it.”

“Oh,yeah! I knew there had to be some reason,” she said, patting his shoulder before running off to get her makeup done.

Phil walked over to his desk, turning on his computers and sitting down. He had to arrive at work one hour before they went on the air, and he liked to spend that time making sure everything was correct for his segment.

He was looking over the radar map when someone grabbed onto his shoulders, making him jump.

“Hey!” Mark greeted cheerfully. He was a field journalist, and the only one at the station who was born within the same decade as Phil.

“You scared me, Mark!" He said, turning around in his chair. "Why do you sneak up on people like that?”

“I have to be stealth, Phil, for when I’m working in war zones.”

“They’re going to have you sneak attack people when you’re working in war zones?” Phil asked. Mark was always discussing his future as a war journalist. Mark had been discussing it since before Phil even worked at the station, he found out. It was a dream that would likely never happen, but no one was willing to tell him that.

“They might,” Mark replied.

Phil shook his head, turning back to his computers.

He was distracted, however, by Mark moving over to his desk and leaning against it, pushing some paperwork over with his butt.

Phil sighed, leaning back in his chair to give Mark the attention he wanted. “What?” He asked.

Mark leaned over a bit so he could whisper. “Have you heard about the new guy?”

“What new guy?”

“He’s taking over for Lena in the entertainment segment.”

“Where’s Lena going?” Phil asked.

“Her dad fell yesterday and she had to fly out to New Mexico. Apparently, he broke his legs or something and her mom can’t take care of him alone. She’ll be gone for six weeks.”

“Oh, that’s terrible,” Phil replied. He liked Lena. She was nearly sixty years old, and barely knew anything about the news stories she’d present, but she was kind. Her segment was always right after Phil’s and they’d share kind words as he introduced her.

“Yeah, horrible,” Mark replied, although it sounded like he didn’t really care all that much. “Anyway, new kid’s your age. Younger, I think.”

“Oh, interesting,” Phil replied, uninterested. He really just wanted to get back to work.

“Yeah. He’s British too, I heard.”

That news did peak Phil’s interest. He was known for being the British guy on the news station. His co-workers would joke around with him playfully when he’d use a word that Americans didn’t. “Really?” He asked. “How do you know all this?”

“If you didn’t spend all your time here actually working, you’d know it too. Go to the watercooler sometime, Phil. Maybe take your break in the breakroom. You do know we have one of those, right?”

“We do?” Phil asked sarcastically. “What happens in this ‘breakroom’ you speak of?”

“You’re an ass, Phil.” Mark looked down at his watch. “I’m sure new guy will be here any minute, but I have to go. I have to be at the scene of a double homicide, because crime doesn’t sleep at night, Phil.”

“Really? I’m shocked.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “You get so tense when you can’t be fully immersed in your weather shit. Later, Phil.”

“Bye,” Phil replied, going back to his radar once Mark had left him.

 

They were going on in five minutes, which meant Phil would have his segment in ten minutes, and the new guy would be introduced in fifteen minutes, and Phil was freaking out.

He was freaking out because the new guy wasn’t here yet and there was two pages worth of dialogue that he needed to go over. He was freaking out because everyone knew that the new guy was British and male, but they didn’t know his name. He was freaking out because he may have to introduce the new guy as “new guy” and make the guy say his own name.

Needless to say, Phil was freaking out.

“Where is he?” he asked one of the producers, Don.

“No idea,” Don replied, looking just as freaked out.

“This is insane!”

“Maybe he’s stuck in the traffic you were stuck in,” John, Joanna’s co-anchor, said. They were both sitting behind the big desk, taking the last minute preparations needed before going on air.

“Then he should have left as early as I did!” Phil replied.

Phil hated this. He never had to worry with Lena. Lena was always there, standing to his right, smiling and ready to take over once he was done.

“Two minutes!” Another producer yelled, running from one side of the stage to the other.

Phil groaned. What was he supposed to do if the guy didn’t show up.

“I’m here!” A loud voice suddenly rang through the studio. Phil looked over to see a man being led to Lena’s spot, nodding to whatever the producer was telling him.

“Okay, guys!” The producer yelled. “This is Dan Howell, Dan this is everyone. One minute!”

Dan stood on his mark, straightening out his dark blue, button up shirt.

Phil walked over to him, getting rid of his anger and nerves so he could introduce himself.

“Hello,” he greeted, holding out his hand for Dan to shake. “I’m Phil Lester, one of the meteorologists here.” He tried not to focus on the fact that this man was nothing like the five foot Lena he knew and loved. He was actually taller than Phil. So, he wouldn’t just be taking away the fact that Phil was the only British person at the studio, but also the fact that he was the tallest person in the studio.

Dan smiled and shook his hand. “Hey. Dan Howell,” he introduced.

“Did the traffic hold you up as well?” Phil asked.

“What? Oh, no. We don’t go on until eleven, right?”

“Um, right?”

“Okay, good! I made good time then.”

Phil laughed, but stopped when Dan didn’t laugh with him. “Wha- Are you serious?”

Dan nodded.

“You have two pages of dialogue you need to learn,” Phil reminded him.

“We have a teleprompter, right?”

“Y- Yeah. They break sometimes though.”

Dan shrugged. “I’ll wing it.”

“You’ll wing it?” Phil repeated, not believing what he was hearing.

“Ten seconds!” A producer yelled.

“Better get on your mark,” Dan said, motioning over to Phil’s section of the studio. “I hear that’s important.”

Feeling mildly annoyed, Phil walked back over to his mark, watching John and Joanna as they started the news.

 

“And now, everyone’s favorite meteorologist, Phil Lester,” Joanna said, smiling over at Phil.

“Thank you, Joanna. It’s been a pretty rainy day today, but it seems to have all cleared up,” he started, moving to the side so he could look at the monitor. “Tomorrow’s going to be rainfree, with partly cloudy skies in the morning. A high of ninety degrees, so make sure to wear sunscreen and drink water if you’re going to be spending the day outside.”

The camera switched back over to John and Joanna, and Phil waited for their question.

“What’s the tropics looking like, Phil?” John asked.

“The tropics are fairly clear for right now,” Phil replied, clicking the button on his remote to change what was displayed on the monitor. “There are a couple of small storms brewing, but nothing to be concerned about. They'll clear out before they get anywhere near us.”

Joanna nodded, “And the weather will be clear throughout the weekend?”

“Yes, the weather is going to be clear all weekend, but we do expect some storms on Monday, and possibly throughout the rest of next week.”

Phil moved over to the other side of his green screen, now staring at the monitor to his right. He very briefly made eye contact with Dan, who was just staring at him.

Phil didn’t like that very much. Lena never just stared at him. She’d smile at him, or look at the monitors, but she didn’t stare.

“This is the current ten day forecast,” he said, looking into the camera. “Expect temperatures in the nineties throughout the week, with humidity near eighty percent. Thursday’s going to be the hottest day, with real feel temperatures over one hundred.”

Phil pressed the button on his remote one more time, bringing up a photo of the ocean. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes for more weather. Until then, here is a new addition to the team, taking over for Lena while she’s visiting family, Daniel Howell with entertainment.”

“Thank you, Philip,” Dan said, smiling widely. “I am _Dan_ Howell, and I’ve been told to tell you a little bit about myself. I’m from England, much like your apparently well-loved meteorologist, _Philip_ Lester.”

The way he popped the last P in Philip made Phil cringe. Sure, he had said “Daniel” because he was annoyed, but he had reason to be. Dan had no reason say his name like that.

“I, however,” Dan continued, “Am from the south, unlike Philip here. It may be difficult to tell, but our accents are quite different. You might find I’m a bit more polished and easier to understand.”

God, Phil wanted to rip the smile off of his face. He hoped, more than anything, that Dan would mess up the rest of his segment. Just one fumble would make Phil’s night.

“Anyway, onto entertainment. In local entertainment, there’s a festival starting tomorrow that’s going to last through Wednesday. It’s a seafood festival, that’s also going to have live bands, games, and more. I’m hoping there’s going to be some fish and chips, of course, seeing as I’m British,” he said with a laugh.

And other people in the room were laughing too. John and Joanna seemed to be loving this guy already, chuckling along with his stupid “I’m British” joke that wasn’t even funny.

“As Philip told you all, the weather should be good throughout the entire festival, although I’m sure he’ll update you should anything change. Of course, you could just open your phone to the weather app and find out as well.”

He passed the sentence off so nonchalantly that no one except Phil noticed the clear insult to his entire career.

This _idiot_ who came in late, didn’t bother to read his notes, and is getting his information directly off the teleprompter, is getting laughs in the studio.

“Now, onto world entertainment news...” Dan continued, and Phil didn’t even bother to listen anymore. He walked back over to his desk and sat down, deciding to wait there until it was his turn to be on air again.

No, there wasn’t many things in Phil’s life that he was sure of, but he was sure he hated Dan Howell.


	2. Chapter 2

Dan had been working at the station for three days, and he found a way to get to set at the very last minute each day. He would disappear in between broadcasts, only re-emerging when he’d have a segment to do for TV or the website.

“He’s such a charming boy,” Joanna said on Dan’s fourth day, ten minutes before they were supposed to go on air, with no Dan in sight.

“Who?” Phil asked, writing down some last minute notes.

“The new boy, Dan.”

“Really?” Phil asked, looking up from his papers. “How?”

“He’s always got a smile on his face,” she replied.

“You mean when he’s making fun of me?” 

Her eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean, hon?”

“He’s made remarks about me every day. He basically said my job was pointless on my first day, and he made fun of my accent.”

“Phil, he did not say your job was pointless.”

“He said you could just go to a weather app instead of checking in with us for the weather.”

“For people at the festival,” she replied gently. “Because they won’t alway be by a TV.”

“What about him saying my accent was weird?”

“Honey,” she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We all joke about your accent here. It’s kind of the running gag at the station, and sometimes you’re the first one to do it!”

“He’s always late,” Phil replied, knowing she couldn’t argue with that.

“Yes, that’s true. But he’s always able to do his job, and that’s all the bosses really care about.”

“Joanna, we need to go over a few things,” John said, heading over to their desk.

“Be right there!” She looked down at Phil, giving him a smile. “Don’t worry, Dear, he’s not taking your place. No matter what, you’re the one everyone loves.”

“I’m not worried about that!” He exclaimed defensively.

She simply nodded before walking away.

 

“That’s all for now on your local weather. I’ll be back in twenty minutes for a more in depth discussion on how much rain we can expect next week. Next up, we have Dan Howell with your local and world entertainment. Dan, how are you?” Phil asked, forcing a smile as he looked over at Dan.

“I’m great, Philip, thank you,” Dan replied, still using Phil’s full name even though Phil hadn’t done it to him since his first day. “I see you’re wearing a special tie,” Dan said, pointing at Phil.

Phil looked down at his tie. It had tiny, yellow lightning strikes with a navy blue background.

“Yes,” he replied. "It was a gift from one of our wonderful viewers at home."

Dan nodded, “It’s very interesting!” He said, then turned to his camera. “Hopefully everyone at home is having a goodnight. You better rest up because, coming this weekend, we’ve got a rib festival coming to town. Yum!”

 

“So, how is he?” Mark said, sliding over to Phil’s desk in his own desk chair.

“How’s who?” Phil asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“The new guy! I haven’t gotten to meet him yet. By the time I get back in the morning, he’s already gone.”

“That’s probably the best explanation of him.”

“What do ya mean?”

“He always gets here late and leaves early,” Phil replied, leaning back in his chair. “And he’s rude! Yesterday, during the broadcast, he pointed out my tie and called it  _ interesting. _ ”

“Wow!” Mark replied sarcastically. “How dare he?!”

Phil groaned. “Not you too! He’s got practically everyone eating out of his hand, and you haven’t even met him.”

“Hey, I’m not eating out of anyone’s hand! Not until I’ve had a few drinks, anyway. I just don’t know what’s so bad about calling one of your ties ‘interesting.’”

“It’s the way he said it,” Phil said, waving his hand to brush it off. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m probably overreacting.”

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s it,” Mark replied with a smirk.

Phil glared over at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, nothing! I should be back earlier tonight. I’ll try and meet him, and then I’ll join your army against the guy, alright?”

“Mhm. Can I get back to work now?”

“Of course you can, Phil,” Mark replied, pushing off of Phil’s desk and rolling back to his own.

 

It was two o’clock in the morning and Phil was halfway through his shift. He had to stay until after the 5am broadcast, then he could go home and sleep.

He rubbed his eyes, tired from staring at the computer screen for so long, then got up to stretch his legs.

The break room was usually empty at this time, so Phil always took advantage of the opportunity to go in there while no one else was around. It wasn’t that he tried to be antisocial, he just preferred to do what he needed to do without any distractions.

When he walked into the break room this time, however, it was not empty. Dan was sitting at a table, flipping through a magazine.

“Oh,” Phil said, shocked that anyone- especially Dan- was in the room. 

Dan looked up from his magazine. “Oh, back,” he said with a smile.

_ A stupid, stupid smile,  _ Phil thought.

“Sorry,” Phil apologized, not even sure why. “I’m just going to fix some coffee.”

“Just did that,” Dan said, picking his cup up to show Phil.

“Oh… Did you want the rest in the pot?” He asked, and God, he felt like an idiot. If coffee was in the pot, you could get a cup. That was how this place worked. You didn’t have to make a new pot for every person.

“Nope. All yours.”

Dan went back to flipping through his magazine while Phil fixed his coffee. He was in his own world, going over what he’d say during the five o’clock broadcast, when Dan’s voice brought him back to reality.

“Can you even taste the coffee?” He asked.

Phil jumped slightly, turning back to Dan, who was still looking at his magazine. 

“What?” Phil asked.

“Cream and two sugars?”

“That’s not that odd,” Phil replied, feeling ridiculous for defending himself over coffee.

“It just looked like a lot of cream,” Dan said, shrugging.

Phil looked down at his coffee, which was a very light tan, instead of the normal pecan color that he usually had. He had definitely poured too much cream, but he wasn’t about to let Dan be right. 

“It’s not,” he said. “It’s just how I like it.” Why was Dan even watching him make his coffee anyway? It wasn’t any of his business.

“Okay,” Dan replied, flipping another page.

Even the way he flipped the paper was annoying.

Phil took a sip of his coffee, closing his eyes to prevent himself from gagging at the taste. He put up the cream, then made his way toward the break room door, ready to return to his desk and not drink his coffee.

“You don’t like me, do you?” Dan asked, stopping Phil in his tracks.

Slowly, Phil turned around. “I never said that.”

“You never said the coffee tasted like shit, but we both know that’s true.”

Phil took a deep breath. “I don’t know you well enough to hate you.”

Dan smiled. “But you’re getting there?”

Phil hated this. He hated confrontation. He never knew what to say and he’d end up feeling like he was the bad guy. “I don’t like being made fun of.”

“When did I make fun of you?” Dan asked.

Phil rolled his eyes. “Pfft!” 

“I’m serious!”

“You said people could use a weather app instead of watching my forecasts, you made fun of the way I talk, you said my tie was  _ interesting,  _ and tonight you asked if I missed British pubs.”

Dan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Okay, I’ll give you the accent one, but the rest is reaching. I was just nervous my first night, and I tried too hard to be relatable.”

“It’s the way you say it,” Phil replied, and just as he suspected, he was starting to feel like the bad guy.

“The way I speak bothers you?” Dan asked.

Phil sighed. “Forget it. It doesn’t matter. I’m just overthinking things. I’m going to go back to my desk and drink my  _ delicious _ coffee. ”

“Alright. Enjoy.”

“I will!”

 

At the five o’clock broadcast, Phil did his segment as always, then introduced Dan.

“Dan, what do you have for us in the entertainment world?”

“Well, Philip, I’m glad you asked! Get ready to go back in time, my fellow former emo’s! There’s a festival headed our way that’s going to make you feel like you’re back in the early 2000’s, rejecting societal norms and wearing so much black you almost pass out. I’ll have more on that for you in just a minute, but first, Phil, since we’re about the same age, did you ever go through an emo phase?”

Phil glanced at the camera for a second, not thinking he’d be put back on the air right now. “Um, yes, embarrassingly enough, I did.”

Dan nodded, smiling. “So did I. I would straighten my hair every day, making sure it flowed over my eyes just enough to run into lamp posts.”

“Yes, that sounds about right,” Phil replied, trying to ignore the fact Dan was getting laughs from his co-anchors.

“Well, thankfully we passed that phase in our life and we don’t do that to our hair anymore,” he said, smiling into the camera. “Or at least some of us don’t. Now this festival is going to include…”

Phil could feel his face growing hotter and redder, because he knew Dan was talking about him. He knew Dan was talking about his hair. He could see that tiny smirk on Dan’s face that no one else seemed to notice. The passing comments that, to anyone else, could be for anyone. But Phil knew, he  _ knew, _ those comments were for him. He just didn't know why.

_ Five more weeks, _ he thought to himself.  _ Just five weeks and he’ll be gone. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is fun to write! I hope you guys are enjoying it. Let me know!  
> Tumblr: softgolftechniques


	3. Chapter 3

Every night was something different. A little remark that only Phil would notice because it was only meant for Phil to notice.

Dan would mention Phil’s choice in tie, or make weather related jokes, or talk about how some people had no social lives.

It’s not like Dan even knew that Phil didn’t have a social life. At least, there was no way he should know. He only saw Phil for a few minutes each night, five nights a week. And, yeah, maybe Phil didn’t socialize at work, but that was because he was actually doing his job, unlike Dan.

“Have you met him yet?” Phil asked, walking over to Mark’s desk.

“What? Who?” Mark asked. “Wait, why are you at my desk? You never come to my desk.”

“That’s not important. Did you ever meet Dan?”

“Oh! Yeah, I did. Just briefly though. I was heading out and he was walking in.”

“And?”

“And what?” Mark asked, playing dumb.

“Come on, Mark!”

Mark laughed. “Okay, okay! He’s a big arrogant, but otherwise he seemed nice.”

“But you noticed the arrogance?”

“Yes, it’s easy for me to spot since I am also arrogant,” he replied with a smile.

“Why are you happy about that?” Phil asked.

“I embrace both my positive and negative attributes.”

Phil sighed. “Are you with the yoga instructor again?”

“How could you tell?”

“Just a guess.”

“So, why are you asking me about Dan?” Mark asked, briefly checking his phone for messages before returning his attention to Phil.

“Because he’s still doing stuff and it’s annoying.”

“What’d he do now?”

“Yesterday, I said that it was currently raining in our area and would be for the next few hours. When I turned it over to his segment, he said he was sure people had been wondering what that stuff falling from the sky had been until I informed them.”

Mark laughed, quickly covering his face to try and hide it. It was no use, as Phil was glaring down at him, obviously annoyed.

“Sorry, sorry,” Mark said, shaking his head to get rid of his smile. “I just imagined him saying it in that voice and it made me laugh. Are you sure he said it like that though? I feel like the producers would get onto him or something.”

“He said, and I quote, ‘Thank you for the update, _Philip,_ I’m sure there were some viewers at home that had no idea it was raining until you told them.’”

“Oh, so he  _ didn’t  _ say the other stuff then?”

“He implied it,” Phil replied, gritting his teeth.

“How’d you know the exact quote?” Mark asked curiously, leaning back in his chair.

“I rewatched it when I got home.”

“You record the news?”

“My mum likes me to send her clips. This is not the point!”

“Okay, what’s the point?”

“I don’t know how to be sarcastic back.”

Mark smiled. “So you’re coming to me for help? I’m honored, Phil.”

“Shut up. I just don’t know how to be subtle enough in a comeback. I need something sharp, witty.”

“Alright, what’s he like?”

“Arrogant.”

“I know that one.”

“Annoying, pretentious, lazy, rude, obnoxious, basically a giant ass-”

“Okay, I meant like what’s there to make fun of about him? He gets you on the weather, clothes, hair, voice, etcetera. What is it about him?”

“He’s got a posh accent.”

Mark shook his head, “That means nothing to me, Phil.”

“He’s got brown, curly hair. Brown eyes. He wears fitted, collared, button up shirts that are way too tight on his arms. He doesn’t even wear a jacket over it, or a tie, which seems really unprofessional. He tucks his shirts into his pants, which are also too tight for work attire, might I add. He’s tall- taller than me. He’s got dimples when he smiles, and he smiles way too much and at really annoying times. And he always stares at me when I do the weather and it’s really distracting and I think he does it on purpose.”

Phil stopped when he noticed that Mark was staring at him with a confused expression.

“What?” Phil asked.

“I just… I’m not sure how I can help you make fun of the guy when you’re about to make me fall in love with him. I mean, I already met him, and I always thought I was straight, but I’m pretty sure I’d do him right now.”

“Mark!”

“Okay, okay! Um… Well, you said before that he never rehearses, right?”

Phil nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay, I think I know what to do. Don’t worry about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“The less you know, the better,” Mark replied, becoming quieter as he glanced around the room.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“That way they can’t get us both. If they ask you if you know something, you can say no. It won’t be a lie.”

Phil rubbed his eyes, the conversation exhausting him. “Mark, this is not some hostage situation in a war zone. What are you going to do?”

“Shh! I’m not doing anything. Return to your station. I’ve got your back.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re a terrible liar, so I’m not telling you anything,” Mark replied, his voice returning to normal.

Phil went to protest, but stopped himself, knowing it was true. “Fine,” he replied before turning and leaving Mark to his plan.

 

“Make sure to have an umbrella with you tomorrow, because it’s going to be raining for most of the day.”

“Not a day for the beach, is it?” Joanna asked.

“No, not tomorrow, I’m afraid,” Phil replied with a smile. “But it should be cleared up by Tuesday, if you want to go out and get some sun then. That’s tonight’s quick look at the weather. I’ll be back in a few minutes with more details on the rest of the week, as well as what’s going on in the tropics. Until then, here’s Dan Howell with your entertainment news.”

“Thank you, Philip. Just imagine, rainy weather in the middle of summer, in Florida no less. Who would have thought?” Dan asked, giving Phil a strong desire to walk over to him and pinch him. 

Yes, he actually wanted to pinch Dan. Punching seemed a bit too over-the-top, slapping was too dramatic, and just talking to him didn’t feel like enough. Pinching was the perfect medium.

“And they call this place the sunshine state,” Dan added, shaking his head. He always added something to make it sound like he wasn’t talking down to Phil. Always figured out a way to make it sound like a harmless joke.

“We’ve got some interesting things to talk about tonight when it comes to entertainment,” Dan said, pausing for a second.

Phil noticed that pause. It wasn’t something Dan ever did.

And there was a slight eye shift too. For the briefest second, he looked from the camera, to a producer.

Phil looked over to where Dan was glancing and saw that the teleprompter wasn’t working. It was a blank screen, and someone was already being rushed over to look at it.

“Mary J. Blige is coming to town,” Dan continued, looking back into the camera. “She’ll be here on August 23rd, and there’s only a few tickets left, so make sure you go online and grab up those tickets while you can. It’s sure to be a wonderful show, filled with some of her greatest hits, along with some new ones you may have never heard before.”

Phil crossed his arms over his chest. He couldn’t believe it. Dan was talking like the teleprompter was working perfectly fine. He knew exactly what to say. He didn’t miss a beat. 

Phil could not be more irritated.

 

It was three o’clock in the morning when Mark got back from his assignment. He had to film a piece for the five o’clock broadcast, then come back and help edit it. Before he could get to the editing room, Phil stopped him.

“Did you have someone break the teleprompter that Dan uses?”

“Oh, yeah, that was me!” Mark replied, smiling. “How’d it go?”

“Perfectly,” Phil replied.

“Great!”

“No, I mean he did a perfect job. He didn’t mess up once. He knew every point he was supposed to hit, and he did it.”

“Oh,” Mark replied, looking slightly upset. “That’s a bummer. I was hoping for some stuttering, at least.”

“No. No stuttering. No nothing. He was getting  _ compliments _ afterward from the producers and- Wait, shut up!” Phil exclaimed as he saw Dan walking toward them.

“I wasn’t the one talking!”

“Shh!”

“Hey, guys,” Dan said, walking up to them. “I was just headed to the break room for a snack. Want anything?”

“Actually, yea-”

“No,” Phil answered, cutting Mark off. “No, we’re fine.”

“Alright. It was a good show tonight, wasn’t it?” Dan asked, leaning back against the desk behind him. “I thought going without the teleprompter would be bad, but I think I did an okay job.”

“Yeah, I heard you did great,” Mark replied, earning him a quick glare from Phil.

“Oh, really?” Dan asked, glancing over at Phil.

“Joanna mentioned it,” Phil added, not wanting Dan to know he gave him any type of compliment.

“Well, that’s nice of her. Anyway, I’m sure both of you are used to working without help from the teleprompter. I figured it would happen sometime.”

“I don’t get to use one now, but when I did, the first time it broke, I started sweating so bad that I had to go home and get another shirt before I went back on air,” Mark admitted. “So, if you haven’t had to do that, then you did a good job.”

Dan laughed, and Phil took note of his giant, stupid dimples again. “Thanks. Well, I better go get that snack. See you later.”

Phil watched Dan walk away, then turned back to Mark once he was out of sight. “Why didn’t you just ask him out on a date?” He asked. 

“Honestly, I probably could. He makes me feel all tingly, Phil.”

“Oh my God!”

Mark laughed. “Oh, come on. Are you sure you’re not being a little ridiculous about this? Even if he is making fun of you on purpose? I mean, he is only here for four more weeks.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right,” Phil replied, remembering that Dan was only here temporarily. 

“Unless…”

“Unless, what?”

“Unless, the reason you’re bothered by him so much is because you, you know, like him or whatever.”

“What?” Phil asked, his eyes widening. “Who? Me?”

“Yeah, you.”

“I can’t stand him!”

“Okay, okay. Just saying, he’s tall, handsome, British, and according to you, a bit of a dick. Everything you like.”

“You have no idea what I like.”

“Ha!” Mark exclaimed, throwing his head back. “Remember that test I made you take? The personality one? That told me everything I needed to know.”

“The one on beingagirl.com?”

“Yes, that one.”

Phil sighed. “Mark, I’m going to go back to my desk and pretend this conversation never happened, okay?”

Mark nodded. “Okay,” he replied as Phil turned to leave him. “Just remember to let me know when I can say I told you so!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to write Dan and Phil as who they'd (potentially) be if they'd never met each other when they were young is difficult, but I am enjoying it!  
> I hope you guys liked this chapter! Let me know!
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	4. Chapter 4

It was almost six o’clock in the evening when Phil received a call from his mum. He had just woken up after working all night and was fixing himself a cup of coffee.

“Hello,” he answered, filling a kettle with water. 

“Hello, child, how are you doing?”

“I’m good, Mum. How are you?”

“Just grand. Martyn and Cornelia were here earlier and we all watched a movie together.”

“That’s nice,” Phil replied, setting the kettle on the stove and turning it on.

“We all missed you here. We can’t wait to see you.”

“I miss you too. Only a couple more weeks though, so that’s good!”

“Yes, and you got the time off, correct?”

“Yes, Mum, I got it off months ago.”

“Good,” she replied, and Phil knew she was smiling.

“Did you get the clips I sent you?” He asked, leaning against the counter as he waited for the water to boil.

“Yes, I did, and you look just lovely! I showed it to all my friends, and they thought you were darling.”

“Mum,” Phil whined, embarrassed that she shared the clips with other people.

“Don’t mum me, Philip Michael. I’m a mother and I’m allowed to brag on my child.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied, walking over to his cabinet to get a mug.

“So how is it going with that boy, Daniel?” She asked. Phil had almost forgotten he had talked to her about him. It was four days ago, right after he had gotten off work. He was exhausted and blabbering and he wished now that he hadn’t said anything.

“Um, it’s alright.”

“Phil,” she replied in a warning tone.

“You saw him in the clips I sent, didn’t you?”

“I did.” 

“Do you think I’m reading into something that doesn’t exist?”

“I think you’re a very good judge of character, so if you say he’s making fun of you, then he is.”

“But you don’t see it?” He questioned, picking up the kettle as it started to whistle.

“He very much makes it seem as though he is making general statements,” she replied, choosing her words carefully.

Phil groaned.

“Now, now, don’t be like that. I believe you, Phil. If you say he’s making these jokes to bother you, then he is.”

“I know he is, Mum. You can’t see it on television, but I know he’s doing it to bother me. It’s so immature.”

“Why don’t you talk to him about it?” She suggested.

“Tried that.”

“You told me you spoke in the break room for a couple of minutes. You didn’t have a proper, sit down discussion.”

“Mum, I don’t think-”

“Nothing will get better if you don’t try to make it better.”

Phil sighed, looking down at his mug and realizing he still hadn’t stirred in his instant coffee. “Yes, Mum. He’s only here for a few more weeks though.”

“You don’t want those weeks to be miserable now, do you?”

“I suppose not.”

“Then speak with him, Philip.”

“Okay, I will. I have to go, Mum, but I’ll talk to you tomorrow, alright?”

“Of course, Dear. Have a good night at work.”

“Thank you. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Phil hung up, sighing deeply as he thought about talking to Dan. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but she was right, nothing would get better if he didn’t try.

 

It was his last night at work for a couple of days, and he was grateful. He had been putting in a lot of extra hours lately, and hadn’t had a day off for a couple of weeks. He couldn’t be more excited to sit on his couch, watch a lot of TV, play a lot of video games, and eat a lot of pizza.

“Big plans for the weekend?” Mark asked, sliding over to Phil’s desk in his chair. Sometimes, Phil wished he could remove the wheels from the bottom of Mark’s chair so he couldn’t do that.

“Just the usual,” Phil replied, pulling up a map of the the projected forecast for the next week.

“So, nothing?”

“Why do you always say that like it’s a bad thing?”

“It’s not  _ bad,  _ just sad.”

“It’s not when you enjoy doing nothing.”

“I guess I can’t convince you to come out with me and my friends?”

“No, never.”

“Phil!”

“Mark!” Phil replied, matching Mark’s whiny tone. “When I first moved here I went out with you and your friends and you got drunk, forgot me at the bar, and left with some girl whose name was Sally but you kept calling Cher.”

“And I apologized for that a million times. Leaving you, I mean, not the Cher thing. She looked a lot like Cher.”

“You also threw up on my shoe,” Phil reminded him.

“Boy, you know how to hold a grudge.”

Phil pushed Mark back slightly so he could open his drawer and get a piece of paper. “It’s not a grudge. I just know you and I don’t care to relive that night.”

“Fine, whatever. Enjoy your boring night of boringness.”

“I will, thank you.”

 

Phil had finished his final segment on the morning news and couldn’t wait to get home. He had dealt with Dan staring at him during each of his segments. He had also dealt with Dan’s stupid remarks. Phil could swear his blood was actually boiling by the end of the night.

_ “...Philip, that suit looks great on you. In fashion news, the new trend is to not go with the fashion trends…” _

_ “Thank you for the weather update, Philip. There’s nothing more fascinating than learning how humid it’s going to be today! I always need to prepare for how curly my hair’s going to get.” _

Phil found himself grumpily gathering his belongings from his desk. He hadn’t been able to talk to Dan throughout the night like he was going to. He had been too busy tracking a storm out in the tropics. He figured he’d take the weekend to think about what to say, if he’d even say anything at all. He knew waiting was really a bad idea, especially because when he thought about something too much, he’d always let the moment pass and never do what he had planned on doing.

It didn’t matter now though. None of it mattered. He was just going to enjoy his weekend.

“I’ll see you tonight, right?” Mark said, his voice catching Phil’s attention. He wasn’t talking to Phil though. He was talking to Dan.

“Oh, um, yeah. I guess so.”

“Alright! You won’t regret it, I promise. My friends are the best.”

“You’re going out with Mark?” Phil found himself asking.

Dan nodded. “Yeah, he invited me earlier. Are you coming?”

“Phil doesn’t-”

“Yes. Yes, I’m coming,” Phil interrupted. He had no idea what made him say it. Maybe it was the fact he was exhausted. Maybe it was that he thought it might be a good time to talk to Dan. Maybe he was just an idiot. He wasn’t sure.

“Really? You’ll go?” Mark asked, his face lighting up.

“Yes, of course.”

“This’ll be fantastic!” Mark replied, backing away to leave before Phil could change his mind. “Be at O’Malley’s by nine, both of you!”

Dan and Phil stood there awkwardly once Mark was gone. 

“So, um, see you tonight,” Dan said, breaking the much-too-long silence.

Phil nodded, quickly grabbing his jacket off of his chair so he could leave. “Yeah, see ya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be a lot more Dan in the next chapter, so prepare yourselves!  
> Please leave a comment to let me know what you think of the story so far! Kudos are lovely and appreciated, but it really helps me to get feedback.  
> Thank you!
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	5. Chapter 5

Phil liked pain, that must be it. That’s the only reason he could come up with as to why he was actually getting dressed to go out to a bar and interact with other humans.

And these weren’t just normal humans. These people were Mark, and his friends, and Dan. God, why did he agree to go anywhere that Dan would be? 

He looked in the mirror, checking his outfit for the third time. He was wearing a navy blue, button up shirt with corgis all over it, and black skinny jeans. He ran his hands over his shirt, flattening out any wrinkles he may have missed when he was ironing it earlier.

Taking a deep breath, accompanied by a long, dramatic sigh, Phil grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys, and headed out.

 

When his Uber dropped him off at the bar it was nearing nine-thirty. He went inside and began looking around for Mark. He didn’t have to look long, as he heard him laughing loudly somewhere in the back of the bar.

He followed the sound until he could see Mark tossing back a shot, then slamming the cup down on the table while his friends cheered him on.

“Phil!” Mark exclaimed, walking over to him with a huge smile on his face. “You’re here!”

“I am,” Phil replied, accepting the hug that Mark was now forcing him into. 

“Good! Good, good, good! Everybody!” He shouted, putting an arm around Phil’s shoulder as he faced the rest of the group. “This is Phil! Phil, this is everybody!”

“Hello,” Phil said, waving awkwardly at the group.

They all shouted greetings out, some raising their glasses to him before downing an entire drink in one swallow.

“Sorry I’m late,” Phil said to Mark once the rest of the group had gone back to doing their own thing.

“Oh, no, no, no!” Mark replied, clearly tipsy. “No, it’s fine. You are here and that’s what matters.” Tears started to form in Mark’s eyes, and that’s when Phil remembered that a tipsy Mark was an emotional Mark.

“Mark, please don’t cry, okay? It’s really weird, especially when I haven’t had a drink yet.”

“Right! Oh, let’s get you a drink! Oh my God, I’m such a bad host, how could I not get you a drink already?”

Phil sighed. “I’ll go get the drink, alright? It’s all fine,” Phil replied, patting Mark’s chest before moving away from him.

Phil headed up to the bar, ordering himself a beer. As he waited for his drink, he looked around, pausing when he saw a familiar face sitting alone at a booth in the corner of the bar.

It was Dan, staring down at his phone, a peach colored drink on the table in front of him.

“Your beer,” the bartender said.

“Thank you,” Phil replied, picking up the mug.

He stood there for a moment, weighing his options. He could go back to Mark and his friends, or go sit with Dan.

Neither option sounded very intriguing.

Letting out his third sigh of what he knew would be many that night, Phil made his way over to Dan.

When he reached the table, Dan didn’t appear to notice.

Unsure of how to start, Phil awkwardly cleared his throat.

Dan jumped slightly, looking up from his phone with wide eyes at the sudden noise.

“Oh, hi,” he said once he saw it was Phil.

“Hello. Mind if I sit?”

Dan shook his head, setting his phone down on the table. “Nope.”

“Thanks.”

“Did you just get here?” Dan asked.

Phil nodded, taking a sip of his beer. “Yeah.”

“Oh.”

They sat there silently, both staring at their drinks. Phil felt like he definitely made the wrong choice in that moment, but he couldn’t just get up and leave him now.

“Why are you over here?” Phil found himself asking, sounding slightly more judgmental than he meant to.

“What do you mean?” Dan asked.

“I just… I figured you’d be over there, with all of them.”

“I got here half an hour ago,” Dan said, glancing over at the rest of the group. “They’d been here at least an hour before me, probably more. I lasted fifteen minutes before I snuck off to sit down. I’ve tried to leave twice, but I have to go past them to get to the door and they stopped me both times.”

“Why’d you come?” Phil asked curiously.

Dan shrugged. “I need someone to call if my house gets robbed, or if there’s an emergency or something. Figured this was my chance.”

Phil looked over at the group again, all laughing loudly, and talking even louder. “I would’ve thought you’d enjoy this type of thing,” he said.

“I guess you don’t really know me,” Dan replied, his voice softer than Phil had ever heard it.

Phil looked back over at him. “I guess not,” he said, both of them staring at each other.

After a few seconds, Dan broke eye contact, hitting his hands down on the table. “Alright, if we’re doing this, we’re doing it my way,” he said, beginning to scoot out of the booth.

“What are you talking about?”

“Shots. We need shots.”

“What? No, I don’t-”

“Hush. I’ll be right back.”

Phil watched as Dan walked off to the bar. He turned back to his drink, downing half of the mug before Dan returned. The bartender came behind him, carrying a tray of shots.

“My God!” Phil exclaimed, looking at them all.

“There’s only twenty, and you only have to take a shot if you won’t answer a question.”

“Um, I didn’t… I don’t really think that’s a good idea.”

“Well, if you answer the questions you won’t have to worry about it,” Dan replied, before quickly adding, “Unless you actually have a problem with drinking stuff stronger than your beer.” Phil could tell by the look on Dan’s face that he was being genuine, and not trying to pressure him.

“No, no I don’t have a problem with it.”

“Okay, good. Wanna go first?”

“No,” Phil replied. “No, you can. It’s your game.”

Dan nodded. “Alright. When was the last time you had sex?”

Phil’s eyes widened and he began to cough, choking on his spit. “What?” He asked once he could speak again.

Dan, with his dimply smile, asked again. “When was the last time you had sex?”

“Why would you start with that question? Shouldn’t you ask my age or something first?”

Dan shrugged. “Are you going to answer?”

Phil glared at him, then picked up a shot and quickly drank it. He cringed at the taste, his throat burning. He hadn’t had a shot since his university days. There was no way this was going to end well.

“I think you’re just trying to get me drunk, Howell,” Phil said.

“Howell?” Dan questioned, still smiling. “No one’s ever called me by my last name before.”

“Yeah, well, can’t say that now. Anyway, it’s my turn. Um, why’d you move here?”

“That’s it? That’s your question?” Dan asked, clearly unimpressed. “I moved here because there was a job here. Okay, my turn. Phil?”

“Yes?”

“Have you ever had a sexual dream about a coworker?”

“Are all of your questions going to be sexual?” Phil asked.

“As long as you keep blushing every time I ask, yes. Now answer or drink.”

Phil sighed. “Yes,” he answered simply.

“Oh my God! Who?! Was it Joanna? I bet it was Joanna, you freak!”

“What? No! It wasn’t. And you already asked your question, it’s my turn.”

“Fine.”

Phil leaned back, thinking for a minute. “Why do you make fun of me all the time?”

Dan rolled his eyes, “Fuck, not this again! I told you, I don’t make fun of you.”

“You’re lying!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“You have no proof that I’m lying.”

Phil picked up a shot and held it out for Dan to take. “Drink it, liar.”

Dan stared at him for a moment, then reluctantly took the glass and downed the shot.

“Ha! I knew you were lying.”

“Not lying,” Dan replied, setting the empty glass down. “Just wanted you to stop whining.”

“Oh please!”

“Shush! Me now. Was your sexual dream about Mark?”

Phil groaned. He picked up a glass and downed a shot quickly.

Dan laughed loudly, his head falling back against the bench. “I knew it!”

“Shut up.”

“Him? Really? You’re into the straight, fraternity bro type?”

“I can’t help who I dream about, _Daniel._ Where’d you graduate university from?” Phil asked.

“You’re terrible at this, Philip Lester,” Dan replied, picking up a shot and drinking it.

“Why didn’t you answer?!” Phil asked.

“Because you’re going to be drunk at the end of this and I’ll be sober and that’ll be no fun. Now, Phil, answer this for me. Why do the things I say bother you so much?”

“Because I take my work seriously and you make it sound like a joke,” Phil answered honestly. He wasn’t drunk, but those couple of shots did have him feeling slightly more open than before.

“How do I make it sound like a joke?”

“Nope, your round is finished.”

 

They went back and forth, Dan asking many inappropriately personal questions that he knew Phil would never answer.

Phil never got too personal, but apparently some of his questions did hit close to home, because the shots were disappearing and Phil wasn’t the only one drinking.

“How many have I had?” Phil asked, the world seeming a bit fuzzier than before.

“Um, eight, I think. And I have had… six? Yeah, six.”

“I don’t wanna drink anymore,” Phil said, his words coming out a bit sloppily.

“Me either.”

“I just… I don’t like being made fun of,” Phil said without even realizing it. “Cause I’ve worked really hard.”

“I’m not making fun of you!” Dan said, his eyes wide. 

“Yes, you are!”

“Not making fun, not really!”

“Yes, making fun, really!”

“It’s just banter, Phil, did you never have bants with anyone before?”

“You admit it,” Phil replied, pointing a finger at Dan.

“I admit to trying to make the workplace a bit more… interesting,” Dan said, having to search his brain for the right word.

“It’s not supposed to be  _ interesting,”  _ Phil replied with an eyeroll. “It’s a news- a newsroom place! It’s serious.”

“Phil!” Dan exclaimed. “Tomorrow they start a six,” he held up six fingers, “week segment on muffin tops! It’s called ‘Muffin Tops: Wonderful Dessert or America’s Biggest Fashion Problem?’ and it’s  _ six  _ weeks long!”

Phil groaned. “Ugh, I don’t want you to know about my sex dreams!” He whined.

“Then you should- you should have lied. You should have lied an’ said it wasn’t him.”

“It was just once. Right after I- I moved here. He helped move my couch in, and he had muscles,” Phil sad, lifting up his arm to try and show where the muscles were.

“Okay. Okay, okay, okay,” Dan replied, leaning forward to whisper. “I’ll tell you a secret, okay?”

“Yes, do!” Phil exclaimed, eyes widening.

“Okay. I didn’t graduate from university,” he said quietly.

Phil gasped. It wasn’t really that big of a deal, but it felt like it when there were eight shots running through his system. “You didn’t? How’d you get this job?”

Dan shrugged. “I just winged it! I sent in a tape of me talking about Kanye West and boom! I’m here now.”

“Whoa. I went to school for six years for this. For weather and the sky and stuff… What’s it called?”

“Meteorologisty,” Dan replied, sure that was the right answer.

“Yes! Yes, that’s it.” Phil nodded, “Meteorologististy.” He ran a hand over his face, rubbing at his suddenly tired eyes. “I wanna go home.”

“Me too.”

They both looked over at the group, still chugging down drinks and laughing.

“What time is it?” Phil asked.

Dan looked on his phone. “Almost ten-thirty.”

“Let’s just sneak past them,” Phil said. “I think Mark is… he’s…”

“Drunk?” Dan suggested.

“Yes! He is drunk, and he will not see us if we shh. Did you drive here?”

Dan shook his head.

“Me either,” Phil replied. “Oh, I know!” He exclaimed, clapping his hands together suddenly.

“What?”

“We can share an Uber!”

Once Phil figured out how to use the Uber app, they both scooted out of the booth and headed toward the door. Dan stumbled a bit at one point, grabbing onto Phil’s shoulder to regain balance.

“Watch out,” Phil warned. “The ground keeps moving.”

“I know!” Dan agreed. “Why’s it do that?”

Phil shrugged. “Dunno.”

They stood outside of the bar, leaning against the wall as they waited for their Uber. Once it arrived, they clumsily got into the backseat.

 

“Oh man!” Dan exclaimed, breaking the silence five minutes into their ride.

“What?”

“I still don’t have a number for my emergencies! What if I’m murdered?!”

“Oh, no!” Phil replied, reached over and patting Dan’s arm. “No, you can call me if you’re murdered!”

“I can?! That’s nice. Thank you, Philip!”

“You’re welcome, Daniel!”

 

It wasn’t until Dan was dropping down onto Phil’s couch that Phil realized Dan didn’t live there.

“Wait, where do you live?” Phil asked, bending down so he could meet Dan’s eyes.

Dan’s only response was snuggling deeper into one of Phil’s couch cushions.

Phil blinked a few times, trying to make his eyes less fuzzy. He hoped that would help clear his brain a little bit too. 

“Dan? Dan, where is your house?” He asked again, poking Dan’s side to try and wake him up.

Dan reached out and smacked Phil’s hand away, but didn’t respond otherwise.

Phil walked over to his linen closet and pulled out a blanket, then walked back over to Dan. He halfway unfolded the blanket before he dropped it down over Dan, barely even covering him up.

“Night, night,” he said before turning off the living room light and heading into his own room to go to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Let me know!  
> Thank you for all the wonderful comments so far. I haven't gotten to respond to as many of you as I'd like, but I appreciate every single one.
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	6. Chapter 6

Phil woke up to his head pounding and a feeling of severe nausea. 

He rolled out of bed with a groan, grabbing his glasses off of his nightstand and putting them on before he went to the bathroom.

When he was finished in the bathroom, he started to head out into the living room when he heard a noise.

He paused, his heartbeat speeding up at the thought of someone in his house. A kitchen cabinet slammed shut, causing Phil to jump and then wince at the noise.

Out of the corner of his eye, something on the couch caught his attention.

It was a blanket his mum had given him before he moved to Florida.

That’s when Phil remembered the night before, and Dan falling asleep on his couch.

Sighing in relief, Phil headed into the kitchen.

When he saw Dan going through his cabinets, he stopped at the archway and watched him for a second.

“Morning,” he said after Dan loudly closed another cabinet door.

Dan quickly looked over at him, clearly surprised that Phil was standing there. His expression changed to annoyance rather quickly. “Where the fuck do you keep painkillers?”

“Good morning to you too, Phil. Thank you so much for letting me spend the night,” Phil said sarcastically as he walked further into the kitchen. “Move,” he instructed Dan.

Dan rolled his eyes and moved out of the way. “Where the fuck is the coffee here too? I’ve been searching for twenty minutes.”

Phil reached into a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of store brand painkillers. He tossed them over to Dan, who almost dropped the bottle.

“Move,” Phil said again, waving his hand over for Dan to get out of the way.

Again, Dan moved. He looked down at the bottle.

“Store brand?” He questioned. “Store brand sucks, Phil.”

“Store brand does the same exact thing name brand does, Dan,” Phil replied, bending down to get the coffee can out of a lower cabinet.

“It does not,” Dan insisted.

Phil picked up his kettle and headed over to the sink, which Dan was now standing in front of. “Move.”

“For the love of God!” Dan exclaimed, moving out of the way for the third time in under five minutes.  He walked over to the coffee can and picked it up. “Instant coffee? Are you joking, Phil?”

Phil turned on the sink, filling up the kettle. “And what’s wrong with instant coffee?”

“It sucks!”

Phil closed his eyes, slowly taking a deep breath. He shut off the water and turned to put the kettle on the stove… which Dan was currently standing in front of.

Phil gave him a look and Dan groaned, sliding over to the side. 

“Are you always this annoying in the morning?” Phil asked, turning the stove on for the water to boil. “Oh, wait, don’t answer that. You’re annoying all the time.”

“Someone’s grumpy.”

“Someone’s making me grumpy.”

“Well excuse me for thinking you could do better than store brand painkillers and instant coffee.”

“I  _ like  _ store brand painkillers and instant coffee,” Phil replied, grabbing a coffee cup out of his cupboard and putting it on the counter.

“Are you not making me any?” Dan asked.

Phil glared over at him, his mouth dropping open. “You- You just complained about how gross instant coffee is to you!”

“I still need something to take the medication with!”

“I have other drinks!”

“I want coffee!”

“Oh my God!” Phil exclaimed. He had never been so irritated with someone in his life. He grabbed another cup and harshly set it on the counter, causing it to make a loud banging sound.

“Careful,” Dan said, his voice calm and really, really annoying to Phil’s ears. “You don’t want to break your mug.”

“Go sit in the living room,” Phil said. “I’ll bring your coffee and your pills to you.”

“You sure you don’t need me to help?” Dan asked. Phil looked over at him, and he was grinning. He was actually grinning as though he was getting pleasure out of this painful conversation.

“Oh, I’m sure.”

“Alright.” He went to leave, but then turned back to Phil. “You do have cream don’t you?”

“I have milk,” Phil replied.

Dan grimaced. “You use milk instead of cream? Phil!” He whined.

“It’ll taste the same, Dan.”

“It really won’t.”

“Go. Sit. Now.”

Dan put his hands up in surrender. “Fine, fine, I’m going. But, bring me four pills instead of two because of it being off brand and all.”

“Dan!”

“I’m going!”

 

Once the coffee was ready, Phil gathered everything in his hands and headed out to the living room. Dan was on one end of the couch, wrapped back up in Phil’s blanket.

“Here you go,” Phil said, handing Dan coffee and pills.

“Thanks,” Dan replied.

“Oh, you do know how to say thank you?” Phil asked.

“I am a man of many mysteries,” Dan replied.

“Mm. I’m sure.” Phil sat down on the other end of the couch. They both took their pills, then sat in silence. Phil had no idea what to say.

“You wear glasses?” Dan asked suddenly. Phil had been trying to come up with some conversation in his head, so Dan’s voice surprised him.

“What?”

“You wear glasses?” Dan repeated, pointing up to his own eyes.

“Oh, um, yeah?” He didn’t know why it came out like a question.

Dan nodded. “I’ve never seen you wear them to work.”

“Contacts.”

“Oh, right. Duh.” Dan cleared his throat, taking another sip of coffee. “They look good.”

Phil cocked his head to the side. “Did you… Did you just compliment me?”

“Shut up,” Dan replied. “You’re always whining that I’m mean to you. I don’t want you reporting me to HR or some shit like that.”

“Mhm.”

“This coffee is shit, by the way.”

“Sure it is.” Phil reached over to grab the remote off of the coffee table. “Do you mind?” He asked.

“Your house.”

Phil turned the TV on, bringing up his recorded shows and pressing play on Fixer Upper. “It’s a home improvement type show,” he explained.

“Yeah, I know.”

“You watch it?”

“I’ve seen a few episodes,” Dan replied simply.

“Oh, okay.”

 

“No! No way, I’d hate that!”

“Phil, you’re being ridiculous!”

“What’s the point of a glass wall?” Phil asked.

“It’s aesthetically pleasing.”

“It’s pointless! They’re going to run into it all the time.”

“They seem to like it,” Dan replied.

“Because they haven’t run face first into it yet. Can you imagine how much Windex they’re going to have to buy?”

“You just have terrible taste, Phil, absolutely terrible.”

“I like for everything to have a purpose,” Phil said. “And there is no purpose for a glass wall. Walls are supposed to separate rooms. Why have a wall that you can see through?”

“Because it looks nice!”

“It looks ridiculous!”

“You look ridiculous!”

“Your mum looks ridiculous!”

Dan became quiet, which made Phil look over at him to see what was wrong. “Was that too rude?” Phil asked, Dan staring at him blankly. “I’m sor-”

“You  _ do  _ know how to bant!” Dan interrupted, smiling now. “I’m so proud!”

“Oh, shut up!”

“It must be the glasses,” Dan decided. “You need them to chill the fuck out. You should wear them to work; it would make the nights a bit funner.”

“You’re so annoying. I’m going to ignore you now,” Phil said, turning his attention back to the show.

“I’m onto you, Philly,” Dan said. Phil ignored him, and ignored the blush that rose on his cheeks at the nickname.

 

“I guess I better go,” Dan said after they had finished all four episodes of Fixer Upper that Phil had recorded.

“Oh, yeah, right.”

While Dan pulled out his phone to get on the Uber app, Phil gathered their cups and took them into the kitchen.

When came back a couple of minutes later, Dan was busy folding up the blanket.

“I didn’t know if you were gonna wash it or something, but I didn’t want to leave it a mess.”

“Thank you.”

Dan placed the folded blanket back on the couch and Phil handed him a piece of paper.

“What’s this?” Dan asked, looking down at it. “You’re giving me your number?” 

Phil nodded, quickly explaining. “I sort of remember me telling you that you could have it last night, for if you’re ever murdered… or something.”

Dan laughed, folding the piece of paper and putting it in his pocket. “Right, right! Thanks, Mate.”

“Sure.”

Just then, Dan got the notification that his Uber was arriving shortly. “I’d say thank you for letting me stay the night,” he said as they headed toward the door, “but you already thanked yourself for that earlier.”

Phil rolled his eyes. “You’re welcome, Dan.”

 

“Fuck me,” Dan moaned as Phil kissed and bit at his neck.

“You cuss a lot,” Phil replied, leaving a trail of kisses up Dan’s neck and cheek as he moved back toward his mouth.

“Who the fuck cares?”

Dan went to move, but Phil pushed him back against the front door, kissing him hard.

“Bed,” Dan suggested, moving his hands from Phil’s hips up to his shirt, unbuttoning each button from the bottom up.

“I thought you were leaving,” Phil replied, pulling Dan’s shirt up over his head.

“This is funner.”

“You know you’re an asshole, right?” Phil asked, reaching down and unbuttoning Dan’s jeans.

Dan grabbed Phil’s face and kissed him again, slipping his tongue in this time. “There are about thirty dirty replies to that question that I can think of off the top of my head,” he said, pulling his pants all the way off and kicking them across the floor with his foot. “Bed, please. Now.”

Phil grabbed Dan’s hand and led him to the bedroom. Once they were in the room, he swung Dan around so they were facing each other again, then shoved him down onto the bed.

 

Phil gasped as he woke up. He was sweating, and had been slightly grinding down on his mattress.

He groaned, turning over and rubbing at his head, which was still pounding.

He had laid down after Dan left, and must’ve fallen asleep without even meaning to. That wasn’t his main concern at the moment though. It was the fact that he had woken up while having a sex dream about Dan.

It was the fact that this dream was nothing like the one he had about Mark, which had been cheesy and sort of hilarious to think about.

It was the fact that Phil kind of wished he hadn’t woken up just yet.

It was the fact that he was screwed.

Completely and totally screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think!! Thank you so much for all the kind reviews you've left so far. They mean a lot to me!
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	7. Chapter 7

Phil’s plan to avoid Mark at all costs ended about five seconds after he walked through the doors of the station.

“Phil!” Mark called out, coming up beside him as Phil walked over to his desk.

“Mark, hey,” Phil replied, glancing over at him with a brief smile. “Lots of work to do tonight, you know. Lots and lots of work.”

“Yeah, sure. So, are you ready yet?”

“Ready for what?” Phil asked.

“For me to say I told you so!”

Phil sat down at his desk chair, leaning back to look up at Mark, “What are you talking about?”

“You and Dan,” Mark replied, quieting his voice so no one else could hear. “I saw you two leave the bar. I was gonna call you over and make you stay, but when I saw you were together, I knew not to get involved. So, how was the sex?”

Phil’s eyes widened. “Mark! First of all, no! Second, that’s a really rude and invasive question. Third, I- I don’t even like him, okay? He’s rude, and whiny, I’m pretty sure he pushes my buttons on purpose, he’s got something against milk, and he thinks glass walls look good in a house! We were just drunk and he ended up spending the night, it was nothing. It was nothing!” 

Mark stared at him, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion over Phil’s outburst. “I didn’t understand half of that,” he said, crossing his arms as he leaned against Phil’s desk. “But, he spent the night? Dude, that’s awesome!”

Phil sighed. “He slept on my couch, Mark.”

“Just make sure you’ve been tested. STD’s can be dormant in your system for years and then just pop up one day. It can ruin your life, Phil. It can.”

Phil paused. “You just found out you have an STD, didn’t you?” He asked, knowing that comment didn’t just come from nowhere.

“It’s the yoga instructor,” Mark replied, whispering now.

“Does she not have a name?”

“Not important. Anyway, she just found out she’s got herpes.”

“Sorry about that, Mate,” Phil said, reaching over to turn on his computers and try to get to work. “I think I’m alright though. I don’t plan on doing anything with him anyway.”

“Anything with who?”

Phil spun around quickly in his chair. Dan was standing there, his hair extra curly tonight, holding onto a piece of paper. 

It was then that Phil’s other plan, which was to stay as far away from Dan as possible, failed.

“Mark’s cat,” Phil said quickly. 

“My what?” Mark questioned.

“He’s gotta go out of town soon and I’m taking care of his cat.”

“I what?”

Phil shot Mark a look and he finally caught on. “Oh. Oh right! My uncle is dying, and Phil’s gonna take care of my cat, Juggles.”

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” Dan replied.

“About what?” Mark asked.

Dan looked confused. “About… About your uncle.”

“Oh! Right, right, right. No, it’s fine. He’s old, he doesn’t mind. Come and go, right? Anyway, I’m going to go over to my desk and see if anyone’s been murdered or robbed in the past few hours.” He began backing away over to his desk. “Wish me luck!”

“He’s so weird,” Dan said once Mark was out of earshot.

“Tip of the iceberg.”

Dan shook his head. “Anyway, here you go,” he said, handing Phil the piece of paper.

“What’s this?”

“My number, just so you have it. I figure you might want to call… if you’re murdered or something.”

Phil nodded. “Right! Thanks. I’ll, um, I’ll put it in my phone.”

“Okay,” Dan replied, backing a few steps away from Phil. “I’ll let you get to your serious weather business stuff.”

Phil smiled politely until Dan turned away from him. He let out a deep breath and turned back to his desk, but found it difficult to concentrate on work.

 

“Now we’re going to throw it over to Meteorologist Phil Lester, who will give us an update on the weather for this week as well as a look at the tropics,” Joanna said, smiling at the camera before turning toward Phil. “Phil, how are you? Did you enjoy the weekend?”

“I did, Joanna, thank you. We had gorgeous weather, and that’s going to continue through the next four days.” Phil took a couple steps back so he was closer to his green screen. “High’s throughout the week should remain in the mid to upper eighties, with sixty percent humidity. It’ll be sunny until Friday, when a wave of storms are set to come through. Unfortunately, that rain won’t cause temperatures to drop by very much.”

Phil clicked his remote and moved to the other side of the screen. Dan was there, arms crossed, staring at him from his own little station. 

Phil quickly diverted his attention away from Dan and back to the camera. “Now, there is something new in the tropics. It’s a system that’s just developing, so we don’t have much information on it yet, but there is a chance that this could impact us within a couple of weeks.”

“Should we be preparing now?” John asked.

“No, not yet,” Phil replied. “It’s still too far away to properly track. The spaghetti models don’t even reach us yet, and there is a chance that it could fizzle out before it gets near us. I will make sure to keep everyone updated throughout the week, and let you know if there is a reason to prepare.”

Phil clicked his remote to bring the weekly forecast back on screen. “That’s all for now. I will be back in about twenty minutes for another weather update, and we will discuss just how many storms are expected to form in the tropics this hurricane season. For now, here is Dan with your entertainment news. Dan, how are you?”

“I’m doing great, Philip, thank you,” Dan replied.

Phil hoped the nickname was done with, but he held his smile nonetheless.

“Someone who isn’t doing very well is well-known, local home designer Sherlaine Woods. She was once almost selected to have her own show on HGTV, but recently has had some bad luck finding clients due to her old-fashioned style. Refusing to go more modern and include designs such as open floorplans, floor to ceiling windows, and even glass walls, she has had to move out of her office and now works from home. Such a shame. Now, for world entertainment…” Dan briefly glanced over at Phil and gave him a smirk as he continued speaking. 

Phil rolled his eyes and shook his head. The old, obnoxious Dan was back again. Phil didn’t know why he had expected things to be different in the first place. 

He walked over to his desk and pulled up his calendar, counting down the days until Dan left and his life could go back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the sweet comments you leave here, and on tumblr! It means so much to me. I've been feeling a bit down lately, and each comment helps me so much.
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	8. Chapter 8

Over the next two weeks, everything seemed to be going downhill for Phil.

Besides Dan being obnoxious, Phil was having to work extra hours almost every day. 

While he normally wouldn’t mind, this overtime was for a tropical storm that was quickly turning into a hurricane, and was now projected to make landfall in Florida. 

Not only was it projected to make landfall in Florida, but most of the spaghetti models showed the hurricane’s eye going directly over their town.

That information alone wouldn’t be too big of a deal to Phil if it weren’t for the fact that his family were due to arrive in the states on the exact day the hurricane was supposed to hit.

Needless to say, his vacation dates- which he had scheduled months ago- were now cancelled. His family would not be coming anymore. And he’d probably have to wait a few months before they would be able to come.

Everyday seemed like new bad news rolling in, and Phil was ready for something positive.

 

“The hurricane’s still hitting, right?” Mark asked the second Phil exited the restroom.

“God, Mark!” Phil exclaimed, jumping in surprise. “Were you waiting for me out here?”

“Of course I was. I was gonna go in but I didn’t know if you were doing a number one or number two.” He glanced down at his watch, “The amount of time it took you in there tells me it was a number one.”

“How have you not been reported to HR yet?” Phil asked, heading back to his desk.

“Crazy, right?!” Mark replied with a smile. “Anyway, hurricane? Yes or no?”

“So far, yes,” Phil answered, sitting down at his desk.

Mark pulled his own chair over and sat down. “That’s great! I mean, I know it sucks for you. But, God, I love hurricanes!”

“Mark, you know you’re going to have to go out in it, right?”

“That’s the best part! It’s perfect training for when I’m a war reporter.”

“Sure it is.”

“So,” Mark said, leaning closer to Phil. “How’re things with Dan?” He whispered.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s been over a week since he stayed at your place. You two swapped phone numbers-”

“How do you know that?”

“I’m a reporter, Phil.”

“Did you go through my phone?”

Mark gasped dramatically. “I’d never. I saw him hand you a piece of paper, so when you left your desk that night, I looked.”

Phil sighed. “I’m getting tired of this conversation, Mark.”

“Then tell me! How’s it going?”

“There’s nothing going,” Phil replied. “He’s still a jerk and I still don’t like him. Luckily, he’ll be gone soon.”

“Where’s he going?” Mark asked.

“Back home, I assume?” Phil replied. “He’s a temp, remember?”

Mark shook his head. “Not anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“He was offered the full-time position two days ago.”

“What?!” Phil exclaimed.

“Yeah, I thought you knew. Lena’s not coming back from New Mexico.”

“So, he’s staying?” Phil asked.

“He’s staying.”

“For good?”

Mark nodded. “For good.”

It seemed Phil’s much needed positive news wasn’t arriving just yet.

 

“So, what are some preparations we need to take for this storm, Phil?” Joanna asked. Phil had been given an extra ten minutes tonight to discuss the incoming storm.

“Well, the storm is expected to hit as a category one. This means winds at the center of the hurricane will be, at least, seventy-four miles per hour. This can cause some minor property damage, so you should definitely take all patio furniture and place it somewhere inside.”

Phil moved over and pressed his remote, bringing up a hurricane preparedness list. 

Dan was standing there, as he always was, but this time he wasn’t looking at Phil. He was looking at one of the screens.

“Put up shutters. That’s very important. Winds can reach up to ninety-five miles per hour during a category one storm, so there’s a chance for a branch to break, or loose items to fly into your windows.”

Phil looked over at his screen and put his hand up toward the third item on the list.

“Make sure you have enough food and water for at least four days. Medication too. Roads can flood, and power outages happen, and you might not be able to get to a store or pharmacy for a while.”

Phil glanced over at Dan, who was biting on his bottom lip. He actually appeared to be nervous.

“If you feel your house isn’t a safe place to be, go to a shelter. Mark Davidson will be talking more about shelters soon. He’s on location at one right now. Other than that, if you live in a flood zone, get sandbags for your house. We’re in Florida, close to the ocean, there’s a high chance that you live in a flood zone. Sandbags can help prevent flooding, so put them up around your front doors, back doors, and even your garage.”

Phil clicked on his remote and brought up a radar image of the hurricane, showing the projected path. “This is Hurricane Harvey’s projected path right now, which is coming right over our area. I’ll be back in a few minutes to talk about it a bit more. Until then, here is Dan Howell with your entertainment news.”

“Thank you, Phil,” Dan replied with a nod, turning to his camera. “Tonight in local entertainment, the Greek Festival is being cancelled due to the hurricane. It is unknown whether or not the event will be rescheduled. In world entertainment…”

Dan played it straight the entire time he was on camera. Phil couldn’t help but notice how Dan didn’t call him “Philip” or make any jokes about him.

There was definitely something wrong.

 

Phil didn’t have much time to worry about Dan, as he had to regularly check for updates on the hurricane, and prepare for the five o’clock broadcast. 

Something he did not expect was for Dan to come to him.

“Hey,” Dan said, standing over his desk.

Phil looked up from his computer screen. “Oh, hey.”

“Can I talk to you?”

“Sure.”

Dan went over to Mark’s desk and took his chair, wheeling it over to Phil. He sat down, but he didn’t speak. He just looked around, ignoring Phil.

“Um, do you have something you want to talk about?”

“Yes, I do,” Dan replied, finally looking at Phil.

“Okay… What?”

“Um, I was just wondering how many hurricanes you’ve been through?”

“Oh.” Phil thought for a moment. “Only a couple. There haven’t been many to hit the area since I moved here. I’ve gone through a lot of tropical storms though.”

“Are those similar to hurricanes?”

“Not as intense, but winds can be over seventy, and there’s still a risk for tornadoes.”

“And how often do the tornadoes happen?”

Phil leaned back in his chair. “Uh, it’s really different every time?” He replied with a shrug. “Tornadoes can’t really be predicted like hurricanes. However, if you’re getting hit by the right side of the storm, there’s more of a chance for tornadoes.”

“And what side are we getting?”

“We’ll be getting the eye.”

Dan nodded. He scooted closer to Phil as more people began to come through the room. “What’s the eye like?”

“It’s-” Phil paused as realization hit him. “This is your first storm ever, isn’t it?”

Another nod.

“You’re nervous?”

“I’m trying to be prepared,” Dan replied, sitting up straighter. He was clearly trying to get rid of all of his anxiety.

“Sure. Well, the eye is just the center of the storm. Everything will be calm. This can last for a few minutes to over an hour, depending on how slow the storm moves and how big the eye is. A lot of people think the storm is over then, and they go outside, and that’s not a wise choice.”

“What am I supposed to do?” Dan asked. He sounded desperate. Phil had never seen him like this before. “The place I’m renting was built in the fucking 1800’s. It’s right downtown, and this downtown floods when it sprinkles for twenty minutes.”

“A lot of people come to the news station when there’s a storm. Even people who aren’t on call for the storm come. They help out with whatever they can, or they just sleep until it passes.”

“Okay… Yeah, maybe I’ll do that.”

Phil nodded. He went to turn back to his work, but stopped when Dan didn’t move. “Was there something else?” He asked.

“Huh? Oh! No, nothing. Thanks.”

Dan got up and moved Mark’s chair back to his desk. He went to leave, but paused, then walked back to Phil’s desk.

“Are you, um, are you going to be here? During the storm?”

“Yeah, all meteorologists have to be here for the storm. Why?”

Dan shook his head. “No reason, just wondering.” 

He gave Phil a soft smile before walking away and, for once, Phil didn’t think it looked annoying or stupid. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I've been through 2 hurricanes, had to evacuate for 2 hurricanes, and have been through countless tropical storms. Some were fun... others were not. Evacuating for a hurricane is literally like that shot in the first episode of The Walking Dead where all the cars were blocking the roads in Atlanta. It's like trying to leave a war zone. I peed in many men's restrooms, watched many people pee on the side of the road, and had to step over tons of human feces from people just pooping on bathroom floors.  
> Not great.  
> Anyway, let me know what you thought of this chapter! I hope you enjoyed! Thank you for all your comments. They brightened my day and made me feel tons better!
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	9. Chapter 9

The storm was slowing down the closer it came to land. Phil knew he’d be at the station for, at least, seventy-two hours. This would include some time before the hurricane arrived, the hurricane itself, and after the storm passed.

He had to be there before the hurricane because the news would be on almost constantly. He would be switching off with the other two meteorologists at the station to keep the public up to date on the hurricanes movements, last minute changes, and reminding them about ways to stay prepared.

During the hurricane, his boss, Chief Meteorologist Steve White would do most of the talking for those watching- and listening on the radio, once the power went out. There would be moments that Phil, or the other meteorologist, Susan, would have to fill in. But, for the most part, this would be Phil’s time to monitor the radar screens and, hopefully, take a nap.

After the storm, they would all take turns again. They would have to stay until they were cleared to leave the station. And, after that, Phil would be the one to stay behind until Susan could get some rest and come back to relieve him.

It was a good system. One they hadn’t had to use too many times, but enough to know what to do. A couple of hurricanes and quite a few tropical storms had come over the area in the years that Phil had been at the station, so they had their system down pat.

 

Phil walked into the station carrying his overnight bag in one hand and two suit changes in the other. The station had extra suits for everyone, but he hated the idea of wearing something that someone else might have been in at some point.

He went to the men’s bathroom, which had a few showers and a dressing area attached, and placed his extra suits, and his bag, in a locker.

When he walked back out from the bathroom, he noticed that the newsroom was buzzing with people. This was something about hurricanes that he loved. Almost everyone who worked at the station was there. Some were getting overtime by working the storm, others were just there for protection. Everyone helped out someway though.

Hurricanes also made Phil feel like he was leading everyone. Sure, he wasn’t the chief meteorologist- yet- but people’s respect for him went through the roof when a storm was heading their way. It made him stand just a bit straighter.

Susan met Phil at his desk. “Steve’s going on first,” she said, popping the Dum Dum out of her mouth. She always had one, and it was usually the grossest flavor, making her breath smell like buttered popcorn for hours. “Then me, then you. He wants to be able to sleep before the main event.” She handed him some papers, “These are all from the weather center. We all got a copy. I’m sure by the time we get done reading them, they’ll have a brand new pile for us.”

“They always do,” Phil replied, plopping the stack of papers onto his desk.

Susan rolled her eyes. “The people at the weather center think they’re all that just because they get updates before us,” she said before putting the Dum Dum back in her mouth.

“Isn’t working there your dream job?” Phil asked.

“Of course it is!” She replied, smiling. “I can’t wait to think I’m all that.”

“Oh, I don’t think you’ll have to wait,” Phil replied, half joking.

“Ha… ha… ha,” she said, humorlessly. “Get to reading, Phil,” she said, tapping the top of his papers with her sucker before walking away.

Phil grimaced at the yellowish stain now residing on the top sheet of paper.

Before he was able to start reading, Mark’s voice rang through the station.

“Let’s get this party started!” He exclaimed. A few people laughed, some cheered, others groaned.

Phil settled on an eye roll.

Mark plopped his bag down next to Phil’s desk, grabbing onto his shoulders from behind.

“Jesus, Mark!” Phil exclaimed as Mark shook him a few times.

“I can’t help it, Phil! I’m so fucking excited.”

Phil pulled away from Mark’s grasp and turned around to see him. “Really? I had no idea.”

“Yeah, dude, it’s like all I’ve been talking about since you said we were getting a storm.”

“I know, Mark, I was joking.”

“Oh. Right. Well, anyway, have the snacks gotten here yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“Damn.”

“Are you going to be at the station?” Phil asked.

“Yeah. Laura, Marty, Greg, Ellie, and Gina are all on location. I’ll be out front. Which means…” He walked closer to Phil’s desk and started drumming.

“What are you doing?” Phil asked.

“It’s a drumroll. Don’t interrupt. Which means… I get to stay right with you the whole time!”

“Yay!” Phil exclaimed, forcing a smile. He hoped the positive reaction would make Mark disappear a little faster.

“I know! It’s great. Anyway- Oh, Dan’s here! Hi, Dan!” Mark said, waving him over.

Phil turned and saw Dan walking toward them, waving awkwardly. He had a backpack on his back, and was dressed down in a grey shirt and black jeans- not that Phil noticed.

“Hi, guys,” Dan said once he reached the group.

“Hey,” Phil replied. “We were, um, just going over Mark’s schedule for the storm.”

“I get to be here with you guys!” Mark announced again.

“I’m sure that’s exciting for you,” Dan replied with a nod. “But, um, how’s your uncle?”

“My uncle?” Mark questioned.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t have an uncle.”

Phil reached out with his foot, kicking Mark in the shin.

“Ow!”

“Your _uncle_ _!”_ Phil repeated. “Remember, I watched your cat.”

“Oh! Oh, yeah, he’s dead. That’s what I meant by saying I didn’t have an uncle. Because I don’t… anymore.”

“I’m… I’m sorry for your loss,” Dan replied, confused.

“Yeah, no, it- it was really hard at first, but we powered through. He was old, you know, and we all die, so I’m just, yeah… I’m gonna go put my things away.” Mark grabbed his overnight bag and hurried off to the back before Dan or Phil had a chance to say anything else.

“There was no uncle to begin with, was there?” Dan asked.

“What? Of course there was an uncle. I took care of the cat.”

Dan nodded. “Uh-huh. Sure. So, are you here until it’s over?”

“Yes, I will be here nonstop for the next three days, at least. I’m assuming you will be too?”

“Yeah, I will.”

“Nervous?”

Dan shook his head, although even that looked like a lie. “No, just curious. I’ve never been through one, as you know.”

“Well, you’re in a safe place, so, even though you’re not, you don’t have to worry.”

“I never worry,” Dan replied sassily.

“I’m sure you don’t.”

They both held onto an awkward silence for a moment. Phil, sitting in his chair, and Dan, standing in front of him.

“So, do you work at all while you’re here?” Phil asked.

“Uh, yeah, I do tonight, but that’s it.”

“Okay. Well, I’m sure you want to go put all your stuff down, and I have some reading to do,” he said, turning slightly to put his hand over the papers.

He ignored the wet spot under his pointer finger. He tried not to think about it being Susan’s sucker spit.

“Oh, right! Sorry, I know you must be busy.”

“No, it’s fine, I just-”

“No, I know,” Dan interrupted, walking around his desk to head toward the bathroom.

Phil looked down at his papers, pulling his hand away from the sticky sucker spit. He stuck out his tongue in disgust as he pumped sanitizer onto his hand.

“Phil?” Dan said from above him, causing Phil to jump. Apparently, Dan had not left like Phil thought, and was now just on the other side of his desk.

“Yeah?”

“I, um… I… Nevermind.”

He went to leave, but Phil stopped him. “No! What is it?” He asked.

Dan turned back toward him, biting at his bottom lip. “I’m just… I’m glad you’re here,” he said, almost mumbling.

Phil just sat there for a second, staring at Dan, not sure what to say back. “Th- Thank you,” he replied, finally.

Dan nodded, then turned away, leaving to go put his things in his locker.

After a couple of minutes of sitting in a state of shock and confusion, Phil shook himself out of it and started to read the update from the weather center.

Suddenly, Susan’s gross, sticky, spit stain didn’t seem to matter much anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The storm hits next chapter so get ready, and get your hurricane party supplies in order!
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	10. Chapter 10

Phil was tired. He had just spent nearly eight hours on television, repeating himself over and over as the storm got closer. It was his job to keep people up to date on the storm as it approached. He stayed on the air until the winds got up to about sixty miles an hour, and then Steve took over.

Not only had he been on air for eight hours, but he had been at work for sixteen hours at this point. While it wasn’t the longest amount of time he had ever stayed awake, even for non-work related reasons, he was still exhausted and ready to take a nap.

One of the back rooms of the station had been turned into a resting room for everyone. There were about twenty cots in the room, and people could take turns using them.

Phil made his way to the room, ready to sleep for a few hours. Walking inside, he saw that there were about five or so empty cots, so he made his way to one in the back, hoping it was unused.

He rubs his eyes, glad he had remembered to bring his glasses. His contacts were now resting in their case on his desk, and his eyes were slowly regaining moisture.

He laid down, and was about to take his glasses off, when he noticed Dan lying on another cot.

His eyes were closed, but he was obviously not asleep. He was taking deep, slow breaths, jerking a little every time the wind would pick up speed.

For a moment, Phil was just going to leave him alone. He was going to take off his glasses and fall into the deep sleep that he craved so much.

Instead, he sighed and stood up. He quietly walked over to Dan and bent down, poking him gently on the arm.

Dan’s eyes shot open and he looked over at Phil.

“Have you eaten?” Phil whispered, making sure not to wake anyone else up.

Dan shook his head.

“Come on,” Phil said, standing back up.

Dan followed behind Phil as he led them out of the room.

Phil went into the break room, where tons of food covered the countertops, and even more filled the fridge.

“Get some drinks,” Phil said as he grabbed an empty container and started to fill it with any food that looked good and untouched.

“What do you want?” Dan asked.

“Anything. I’m not picky.”

“I feel like that’s probably not totally true,” Dan replied with a smile.

“Ha! If I remember correctly, you were the one bothered by the drinking arrangement at my place.”

“Coffee shouldn’t be like that, Phil, it’s just not right.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Once Phil had the container full, he motioned for Dan to follow him out of the room.

“Where are we going?” Dan asked.

“Upstairs.”

Phil opened the stairwell door, holding it until Dan went inside. “It’s just one floor up,” Phil said, letting Dan lead the way.

When Dan reached the second floor, he opened the door, which led to a long hallway.

“Second door on the left,” Phil said.

Dan nodded and headed to the room. When he opened the door, it was to an empty room with floor to ceiling windows.

As he stepped inside, he stared out at the storm. The dark gray sky, flashes of lightning, rain pouring down and hitting the windows as the wind blew furiously. Trees were bending over, some stray branches twirling on the pavement.

Phil flipped the switch and turned on the lights. “Let’s sit over here,” he said, pointing to a spot across from the windows, against the wall.

“Is it safe to be in here?” Dan asked.

“These windows are made to withstand up to a category four storm; that’s why there are no shutters over them. We’ll be fine.” He sat down, crossing his legs as he put the container of food in front of them. Dan followed suit, still staring out the windows.

“I find,” Phil continued, “that the storm looks far less scary when you can actually see it.”

Dan handed Phil a bottle of water and a soda, keeping one of each for himself as well. “It’s a lot noisier than I expected,” he admitted.

“It’s the wind gusts,” Phil explained. “They sort of just hit and make everything a bit crazier for a few minutes. We have technology to give us a little warning before they hit, but you don’t know if you’re not watching or listening to the weather.”

“You really like being a meteorologist, don’t you?” Dan asked as he reached forward to grab a bag of chips.

“I do. It’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was little.”

“That’s nice,” Dan replied and, from what Phil could tell, he sounded sincere.

Phil reached into the container and pulled out a small cereal box, choosing to eat it dry. “What about you?” He asked Dan. “Did you always want to do entertainment journalism?”

Dan laughed. “Uh, no. I wanted to be a fireman when I was really young. Then I did a lot of plays during school, so I wanted to be an actor.” He shrugged, “I realized that was unrealistic, so I decided to go to university for law.”

“Law?” Phil questioned. “I can’t really imagine you as a lawyer.”

Dan smiled. “Neither could I. That’s why I left.”

“What did you do after you left?”

“Random jobs, really. Nothing special. I was just looking online one day when I saw this job. I wanted out of my hometown, and I was bored, so I sent in a video. I didn’t actually expect them to call me.”

“Are you glad they did?”

Dan looked over at Phil. They stared at each other for a moment, and Phil could almost swear that Dan glanced down at his lips. “Yeah,” Dan finally replied. “Yeah, it’s a good place to work.”

Phil broke the stare by looking down at his cereal box. “Want a bite?” He offered to Dan.

“No, thanks. You want a chip?”

“No, I’m good.”

“So, what’s this room for anyway?” Dan asked, looking around at how empty it was.

“It’s a conference room, but the tables are only brought in when we need them. We don’t have very many conferences each year. Other times, it’s just extra space for whatever we may need it for. Kind of a waste, really.”

“Not a total waste though,” Dan replied, causing Phil to glance over at him again. Dan wasn’t looking at him this time, but staring down at his bag of chips. He looked nervous, but not the same way he had looked nervous about the storm.

“No, I suppose not.”

 

They ate in silence for awhile, staring out at the storm. As Phil was reaching out to grab a muffin, the winds began to pick up, making a whistling sound.

Dan sat up a bit straighter, putting his nearly empty bag of chips to the side.

Phil dropped the packaged muffin back into the container. He used his hands to push himself up. “Come on,” he said, holding out a hand to help Dan up.

“Where?” Dan asked.

“Just come on.”

Dan took his hand and Phil helped to pull him up. Once Dan was standing, Phil let go, pushing back his desires to just keep their hands intertwined.

“When it gets gusty,” Phil explained, leading them toward the window, “Mark likes to go out to film.” He pointed over to a corner and Dan moved in closer to have a look.

Mark was standing out in the pouring rain and harsh wind, wearing a station rain jacket and pants. Over that, he had on a green tinted, see through raincoat.

“He looks absolutely ridiculous,” Dan said, laughing as Mark tried to keep his hat from falling off.

“It’s great, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

“The best part is that he’s been told to not go out during the bad parts of the storm. He thinks defying orders is what will get him overseas as a war reporter, I suppose.”

“You think he’ll ever really be a war reporter?” Dan asked.

Phil shrugged. “He’s been trying for years, so I don’t think he’ll ever give up. He’ll be the oldest man trying to get into a war zone.”

Suddenly, the lights began to flicker. Dan and Phil both looked up at them as they flashed off.

“Guess we lost power,” Phil said.

“Good observation,” Dan replied sarcastically.

“Oh, normal Dan is returning!” Phil exclaimed. “Someone’s less nervous now.”

“Oh, shut up,” Dan said, lightly shoving Phil’s shoulder.

A few seconds passed and some dimmer lights turned on in the room. “Not to be _obvious_ ,” Phil said, “but the generator just kicked in.”

Dan rolled his eyes dramatically. “I’m getting more food.” He walked back over to the other side of the room and sat down, digging through the container until he found some Pop-Tarts.

Phil stared out at Mark for a second longer, then joined Dan back at the wall.

He sat closer to Dan this time. So close that their shoulders kept brushing against one another with every move they’d make. He thought Dan might try to move away, but it turned out to be the opposite. He seemed to move into the touch, coming closer to Phil so that they were always touching, whether they were moving or not.

“What’s your favorite thing to do here?” Dan asked.

“At work, or in this city?”

“In this city.”

Phil thought for a moment. “I don’t really go out that much, to be honest. But, you probably already figured that.”

“I did.”

“I used to go explore, when I first moved here. But, now I recognize it’s mainly a tourist trap and kind of stinks.”

“It does stink, doesn’t it?” Dan agreed. “Like, it actually smells. I’m renting downtown and I swear I smell sewage sixty percent of the time.”

“It’s because it’s so old. Everything’s broken and no one tries to fix it.”

Dan sighed. “My place will probably be ruined after this storm. You remember a couple of weeks ago when it rained for like two days straight?”

“Yeah.”

“When I went outside, the rain was above my ankles by the time it was over. And I’m pretty sure it’s rained more in the past few hours than it did over those two days.”

“Yikes,” Phil replied, looking out at the rain. “At least you’ve got shutters up, and sandbags.”

“Well…”

“D- Dan, you did put up shutters and sandbags, right?”

“Do I really look like the type that knows how to do either of those things?”

“Dan!”

“Phil!”

“Your place is going to be ruined!” Phil exclaimed.

“That’s what I just said!”

“You could have called me, you know. I would’ve helped.”

“Not to be rude-”

“Shocking,” Phil interrupted.

“Shut up. As I was saying, not to be rude, but you don’t seem like the shutters and sandbags type either.”

“Well, then you would be wrong… At least about the sandbags. I got Mark to do my shutters.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “Oh God! Did you do it just so you could have more sex dreams about him?”

“No!” Phil exclaimed. “No, I didn’t. I haven’t had anymore sex dreams about him, nor do I intend to.”

Dan smiled. “But you’ve had them about someone else?”

“What?” Phil asked, trying to shake off the fact he was suddenly feeling very hot.

“You said you hadn’t had any more sex dreams about _him_. That implies you’ve had them about someone else.”

“You’re being ridiculous, Daniel,” Phil replied, hoping the full name usage would shut Dan up.

“You’re blushing, Philip,” Dan said, reaching over and poking Phil’s cheek. “Was it John? Do you have a thing for old, graying men?”

“You’re a freak.”

“Or was it Susan? The way she sucks on those lollipops. I’m sure that’s a turn on. That buttery, artificial popcorn breath.”

“You’re making me lose my appetite.”

“Maybe a producer. Angie? Corbin? Both?”

“Dan!” Phil exclaimed, “It was- It wasn’t any of them, alright?”

“Then who?” Dan asked, nudging Phil’s shoulder with his own.

Instead of responding, Phil just looked at Dan. The moment their eyes met, anything humorous about the situation seemed to end for both of them.

“Oh,” Dan said, his voice quiet as realization hit him.

Phil’s heart was pounding. “I-”

The moment was broken by a branch hitting into the window. They both jumped, looking toward the noise.

“The- The wind’s picking up again,” Dan said. He sounded nervous again.

“Yeah, it’s another gust coming through.”

“How fast is it moving?” Dan asked.

Phil laughed. “I can’t tell exact miles per hour just by looking, Dan.”

Dan cocked his head to the side, staring at Phil knowingly.

Phil sighed. “It’s probably around eighty-eight. Maybe. Possibly.”

Dan smiled, and Phil couldn’t help but notice how cute he looked when his face was scrunched up. “I knew you’d know,” he said. “I…” His voice trailed off and he sighed.

“What?” Phil asked.

“I’m just… I’m glad you’re here. There’s no one else… There’s no one else in the building that I’d feel safe with right now.”

“I make you feel safe?” Phil was pretty sure his heart was swelling.

“Yeah.”

Phil smiled, biting at his bottom lip for a moment before replying. “You know, I like this nice Dan. Actually, I think I might like obnoxious Dan as well.”

“There are many sides to me,” Dan replied with a smirk.

“I’m learning that.”

And then they were staring at each other again. Their faces only illuminated by the dim lights in the room and the occasional flashes of lightning.

Phil felt safe. Safe enough to do something he wouldn’t have tried on a normal day.

He leaned forward slowly, giving Dan plenty of time to back away if he wanted.

He didn’t. He started moving toward Phil as well. Their eyes were closing as the remaining distance between them faded.

And then the door opened.

They both jumped back from one another, jerking their heads toward the door.

“You will never, ever know how sorry I am for interrupting you,” Mark said, dripping wet and eyes filled with regret. “But Steve’s looking for you. He wants you to take over for about a half hour.”

Phil looked from Mark to Dan.

“You go,” Dan said. “I’ll clean up in here.”

“I’ll help him carry,” Mark added.

Phil nodded, standing up and heading out of the room. “Alright. I’ll, um, I’ll see you later.”

“Never been more sorry in my life!” Mark called out to him.

Phil rolled his eyes. “Bye, Mark!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm evil and I apologize for nothing!  
> Stick with me, alright? The storms not over yet.
> 
> Thank you all so much for the reviews! You really don't know how important reviews are to me. They motivate me to update faster, and they make me so excited! Thank you!!
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	11. Chapter 11

Dan watched from the sidelines as Phil spoke to the public. The cameras were rolling, but there weren’t many people watching at this point. Most were without power, and had resorted to using the radio.

“There’s a brand new update coming in,” Phil said as he was handed a sheet of paper. He looked over at his radar screen, which was slowly updating as well. “There appears to be a tornado warning for the area. I would like to remind everyone to get into the safest room in your home at this time,” he said, keeping his voice calm. “That would be a room without windows, in the center of your house. If you don’t have a room like that, then get into the bathtub. Take pillows or a mattress with you. A basement is also a good place to be, but there are not many homes with those in Florida.”

Phil looked toward Dan, noticing that his eyes were wide and he seemed panicked. 

“This tornado is not headed in the direction of the station,” he said quickly, more for Dan than anyone else. “But those along the Davis Shores area do need to take cover. The tornado is not touching down at the moment, but it is a possibility. Make sure you stay inside, stay safe, and keep listening to our broadcast. We’ll be the first to let you know if the tornado is touching down anywhere.”

He glanced at Dan again, who was now letting out a relieved breath.

While Phil had always found himself annoyed at Dan and the fact that he always stared at him, it didn’t bother him much right now. In fact, he kind of enjoyed it. 

“We’re going to go to Mark now, who is outside of the station, and talk to him about what it’s like outside. Mark, can you hear me?”

“Yes, I can hear you, Phil!” Mark replied, his voice loud so he could be heard over the rain and wind.

“What’s it like out there?”

“It’s windy, Phil! Very, very windy!”

Phil wanted to roll his eyes. “Yes, the winds are around eighty right now.”

“Yes, and you can feel every bit of it, Phil! It’s not a good time to be outside. I’ve lost my hat; it blew away somewhere! I’ve soaked through this rain jacket! The winds make the rain feel like needles poking into your skin! It’s not good.”

“Yes, we’re reminding everyone to stay inside at the moment. Mark, you should come in as well.”

“Phil, I’m watching people driving down the road right now! These are not police officers, or even emergency responders, these are just regular people who are not taking the storm seriously!”

Phil took a deep breath, deciding not to mention that Mark was ignoring his suggestion to come in. “That’s definitely not a wise choice. They could find themselves heading directly into a tornado. It’s not a time to play around.”

“I agree one hundred percent, Phil! And a branch just broke off of a tree and landed right at my feet!”

“Mark, come inside,” Phil repeated. “It’s not safe for anyone to be standing out in the middle of the storm.”

“Whatever you say, Phil! We’ll come in for a few minutes, as it seems to be calming down out here right now.”

“That’s… Okay, Mark, just come inside. Be safe.”

 

When Steve got back from his break, Phil made his way over to Dan, who was now sitting at Phil’s desk.

“The tornado never touched down,” he said, sitting on his desk.

“That’s good. You want the chair?” Dan asked.

“Nah.” Phil yawned, running his hands underneath his glasses to rub his eyes.

“You should sleep,” Dan said. “I know you must be exhausted.”

“No, I’m okay.”

Dan cocked his head to the side. “Phil, you idiot, sleep while you can.”

“Was the idiot really necessary?” Phil asked, using his foot to tap at Dan’s shin. 

Dan smiled. “Yes, it was. Especially if you don’t sleep.”

Phil sighed. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Will you be alright?”

“I’m not a child, Phil. I’ll be fine. I’m going to watch and see if Mark gets himself seriously injured, then try to sleep when the eye comes over.”

Phil laughed. “I really hope Mark doesn’t get himself hurt, but you have to promise to wake me up if he does.”

“I’ll get you before I call for an ambulance,” Dan assured him.

“You better!” Phil replied, getting off of his desk. “Okay, I’m going. I’ll, um… I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll be here,” Dan replied with a smile.

 

Phil ended up sleeping much longer than he had intended. By the time he was waking up, the eye had passed and the back end of the storm was moving over the area quickly.

“You’re awake!” Dan greeted as Phil entered the break room.

“I am, finally. I didn’t mean to sleep so long.”

“You needed it. You looked terrible.”

Phil sat down at one of the tables, “Thank you so much.”

Dan smirked, pulling a mug out of the cabinet and pouring a cup of coffee. “You’re welcome. Want some  _ real _ coffee?” He asked, already fixing it for him.

“I’ll ignore the sarcasm and accept the coffee,” Phil replied.

“Be prepared for your first cup of good coffee, Philly. You’ll be shocked.”

“You’re a jerk,” Phil said as Dan slid the cup over to him. 

Dan shrugged. “You like it,” he said, sitting down.

Phil lifted the cup to his mouth, deciding to take a sip instead of responding to Dan’s comment. 

“How’s it taste?” Dan asked.

Phil set the cup back down, sighing before he answered. “It’s good, it’s good. You know what would make it great, though?”

“Hmm?”

“Powdered creamer.”

Dan rolled his eyes. “Ugh! You’re so weird, Lester.”

Phil shrugged. “You like it.”

They both smiled at one another until the moment was broken by a cameraman walking into the room.

“So, um, did Mark ever injure himself?” Phil asked.

“Nope. We both fell asleep as the eye came over. He said it was the dullest part of the storm and he had no interest in it. The winds have been lower ever since, so all the thrill seems to be over for him.”

“Apparently, it’s moving a lot faster now,” Phil said. “At least, that’s what I heard as I walked into here.”

Dan nodded. “That’s what they’re saying… Do you, um, do you have to go back to work right now?”

Phil shook his head.

“I saw a checkers board in one of the cabinets. Want to play?”

“I’d love that!” Phil replied, his eyes lighting up.

As Dan got up to get the board, the cameraman sat down at another table. Soon, two others came in and joined him. Phil wished he could put a sign up in front of the room, banning anyone else from entering. He knew it was ridiculous, but he wanted him and Dan to be alone.

 

“And that makes, what, the fourth game I’ve won?” Dan asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“You’re cheating.”

“I am not!”

“That’s what cheaters say.”

“And what do non-cheaters say?”

“They say, ‘Phil, you are obviously better than me at everything else, so please just let me have checkers as the one thing I am good at.’”

Dan laughed. “Oh, that’s what I’m supposed to say?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“No?”

Dan shook his head.

“What a shame.”

“Want to play again?” Dan asked, picking up some of the checker pieces and tossing them from hand to hand.

“Only if you promise not to cheat. I will frisk you, if necessary.”

“Hm,” Dan replied, thinking for a second. “Is that a promise?”

“If you want it to be,” Phil said, ignoring the fact that his heart was racing. He didn’t do things like this. He didn’t flirt. Is that what he was doing? Was this flirting?

He was brought out of his thoughts by Dan handing the red pieces back to him. “I’ll be nice and let you go first this time.”

“You’re giving me a pity start?” Phil whined.

“I am! You deserve it!”

“See, you think I’d be too dignified to take it, but I’m not, Howell. I accept the pity start and I will win.”

“Sure you will, Phil. Just remember you’re trying to _avoid_ the black pieces, not get jumped by them.”

 

Once the storm ended, Phil had to stick around for his regular shift. The news would only be about the storm that night, including the damage caused by it, but it actually made the time go by faster.

Mark spent his shift going around from place to place, talking to people who were affected by the storm. He even got in trouble once for getting too close to down power lines, which he actually seemed excited about more than anything.

The sun was rising as Phil’s shift ended, and he headed to his desk to collect his things before leaving.

He was surprised to see Dan there, sitting in his seat.

“You’re still here?” Phil asked.

“No, I’m gone. This is a hologram.”

“Science has truly come a long way,” Phil replied, poking Dan’s shoulder. “You seem so lifelike.”

Dan smiled, standing up so he could walk out with Phil. “If I’m being honest, I was too nervous to go home. I know it’s going to be a disaster.”

“It may not be so bad. I could go with you if you’d like.”

Dan shook his head. “No, no, I’ll be fine. I know you’re exhausted. You probably want to sleep for a couple of days.”

“I’m not too bad, really. I get a pretty big adrenaline rush after storms like this.”

As they headed toward the exit, Dan stopped. When Phil noticed a couple of steps later, he looked back at Dan. “Something wrong?”

“Can we just… Follow me,” Dan said, walking over to the stairwell door and opening it.

Phil followed Dan into the stairwell, closing the door behind them.

“What is it?” He asked.

Taking a deep breath, Dan lifted his hands to Phil’s face, cupping them at his neck and rubbing his thumbs over Phil's cheek. 

“Oh,” Phil said, his heartbeat rising.

Dan leaned in, closing his eyes as their lips met.

Phil took in a sharp breath, closing his eyes and gripping his hands onto Dan’s waist.

They didn’t pull away until they needed air, but it felt too short for Phil.

Dan smiled, biting at his bottom lip before he spoke. “Phil?”

Phil cleared his throat. “Yeah?”

“Would you like to come assess storm damage with me?”

Phil laughed, all anxieties pushed to the back of his mind. “I would love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, you're welcome ;)
> 
> Second, the comments you made on the last chapter made me laugh and cry (happy tears) and I am so thankful for you all! I'm happy you're enjoying this story, and you're coming to my tumblr to talk to me! It makes me feel over the moon!
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	12. Chapter 12

Phil drove them to Dan’s house, ignoring the fact that Dan gripped onto the handlebar almost the entire time. He also gasped a couple of times, but Phil ignored that too, deciding Dan was just nervous about seeing his house.

“This is it,” Dan said, pointing at a perfectly square, pale yellow house. It was trimmed in white, with little flower boxes attached to both front windows.

Phil pulled into the driveway, making Dan gasp once again when he stopped just shy of the garage door.

Phil turned off the car and they both got out, heading to the front door.

“Everything looks okay from here,” Phil said, looking around.

“Yeah, hopefully the whole house is fine.”

Phil had thought about what the inside of Dan’s house would look like, but he never expected it to look anything like it did.

The front door opened to a small hallway. To the right was a kitchen, to the left was a dining room.

Walking straight back led to a living room, and Phil presumed Dan’s bedroom was behind the door on the left side of the living room.

The strange thing wasn’t the house itself, but the decorations.

From his brief glance into the kitchen, it was covered with roosters. Rooster pictures were on the wall, rooster statues on the counter. Phil could see a dish on the counter and it had roosters on it too.

The dining room was covered with different birds.

And the living room was very… Victorian. Lace curtains and furniture from the eighteen hundreds. A flowery sofa and a coffee table with roses carved into it.

“This is… nice?” Phil said, unable to hide his confusion.

“Okay, Mister, before you say anything else, this place came fully furnished. This is not my style.”

“Sure it isn’t,” Phil replied with a smirk.

“I swear, Phil, every night I go to bed I wonder what’s going to murder me first. The flowers, roosters, or the fuckton of birds in the dining room. Or the fish!” He added as though he had forgotten.

“The fish?” Phil questioned.

“My room is filled with fish plaques! Come look.”

Dan led Phil to his room, not bothering to turn on a light since power was out in his neighborhood.

When they opened the door, there was far more than just fish in the room.

The bedroom window had busted in, leaving glass and a couple of tree branches in the room.

“Oh shit!” Dan exclaimed, walking further into the room. “Fucking shit fuck!”

Phil bent down, pressing on the carpet a couple of times. “It’s soaked,” he said, standing back up.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“Contact your landlord,” Phil replied. “Do you have renters insurance?”

“Yeah,” Dan answered with a sigh.

“That’s good.”

“What am I supposed to to until it gets fixed though? Maybe I could sleep in the living room.”

“You’re going to sleep in your house when you have a busted out window?” Phil asked.

“They’ll cover it with a board or something until it’s fixed.”

Phil rolled his eyes. “You could stay with me,” he offered.

“No, I don’t want to be a bother,” Dan said, waving him off.

“Oh, please, you’d love to be a bother.”

Dan glared at him, but the small smile on his face couldn’t be hidden. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Dan looked around at his room, sighing again. “I’ll get some of my stuff and call my landlord, then we can go.” He carefully stepped over some of the glass to get to his closet. “I tell you what, Philly, I’d usually make a guy take me on a date before I stayed the night at his place,” he said, disappearing into his closet. “But here you are, taking me in for the second time.”

Phil bit at the inside of his cheek, trying to stop himself from blushing. “Well, we can work on the dating part eventually. If you want, I mean.”

Dan laughed, coming out of his closet with a small suitcase and tossing it on his bed. “I would want," Dan replied without hesitation.

“Really?” Phil asked, afraid to get too excited.

“Yes, you cheese puff,” Dan replied. “Now, go over to my drawers and start throwing clothes on my bed. Let’s get this show on the road!”

 

“You know you can go to bed. I don’t need a babysitter,” Dan said as he and Phil sat on Phil’s couch, an episode of House Hunters playing in the background. Thankfully, Phil’s place was one of the few areas that didn’t lose power during the storm.

“Yes, I know that, Daniel, but I don’t want to go to bed right now. I actually have tonight off, so if I sleep right now, I won’t sleep tonight.”

“Alright,” Dan replied with a sigh. “But you have to promise you won’t complain during the next episode.”

“What? Me, complain? Are you joking?”

“No, I’m not joking. You complained about each house in the last episode.”

“Because they were awful.”

“They weren’t _all_ awful, Phil.”

Phil snorted. “Yeah, they were. Not to mention, two of the houses went way over their budget, but they didn’t even seem to care. And the house they chose had patches of grass missing in the yard.”

Dan threw his hands up. “You’re still complaining!”

“Just start the next one,” Phil said waving his hand toward the remote, which was sat between them.

“Oh, cause it’s such a long reach for you?” 

“Yes, it is.”

Dan shook his head, but reached over and grabbed the remote anyway. “This one’s set in Nevada.”

“I bet one’s a juggler and the other’s a part-time newspaper roller, but somehow their budget is one million dollars.”

“Haven’t even pressed play and you’ve started complaining.”

 

Once they had spent a few hours watching TV, they started playing Mario Kart.

“Oh, look who got first place again!” Dan said, poking at Phil’s shoulder. They were sitting much closer now, legs crossed on the couch and knees touching.

“Whatever! You’re cheating.”

“Is that what you do every time someone else wins something? Claim they’re cheating?”

Phil nodded. “Yes, I do. It makes me feel better.”

“Whatever works, I guess,” Dan replied with a smile. “Want to go again?”

Phil looked over at Dan, taking note of his smile, his eyes, his hair… his mouth. He really wanted to kiss him again.

When Phil didn’t respond, Dan looked at him. “Phil?”

“Huh?”

“Did you want to play again?”

Phil, with his heart thumping, shook his head. “Can I-”

“You don’t have to ask,” Dan interrupted, tossing the controller to the side. 

And then they were kissing. It wasn’t like last time. It wasn’t slow and soft.

It was hands grasping at each others waist, tongues sweeping over lips until they opened their mouths. It was Dan lying back on the couch and Phil finding a comfortable position on top of him. It was Dan’s hand roaming under Phil’s shirt, and Phil moaning into the kiss. 

It was hot, and Phil didn’t want them to ever stop.

Eventually, however, they had to. They had to break apart for air. They had to break apart so things didn’t go too far too fast.

“It’s late,” Phil noted, his chest heaving as he laid over Dan. He had slightly propped himself up with one of his elbows, but they were still extremely close.

Dan nodded. “We better, um, we better get ready for bed.”

“Yeah. I’ll, uh, I’ll take the couch and you can sleep in my room,” Phil said, pushing himself up into a sitting position. 

“No, no, I’ll take the couch. I really don’t mind.” Dan scooted up until he was sitting as well, his back leaning against the armrest.

“You’re my guest, I’ll take the couch.”

“Don’t be stupid, Phil. You need rest more than I do.”

“I’m not being stupid! I’ve slept on my couch before.”

“I’ve slept on your couch before too!”

“You’re taking the bed,” Phil insisted.

“No, you are,” Dan replied firmly.

Suddenly, they were kissing again. Phil wasn’t exactly sure how it happened, all he knew is that Dan was being irritating and all he wanted to do was kiss him.

“You’re so annoying,” Phil said in between kisses.

“So are you,” Dan replied, wrapping one hand around the back of Phil’s neck, pulling him in closer.

“We can argue about the bed later. I’m not tired yet,” Phil decided.

“Me either. Shut up and kiss me.”

 

When Phil woke up the next morning, he snuggled further under his covers, feeling comfier than usual.

It took him a few seconds to register that his head was not lying on his pillow, but something a bit firmer and warmer. Something that kept slowly rising up and down.

He opened his eyes and lifted his head to see Dan there... in his bed... with him.

That’s when Phil became aware of the fact that he was naked. Naked and cuddling up to Dan, who also seemed to be naked.

Dan’s left arm was around Phil’s back, and Phil had been sleeping on Dan’s chest. 

Dan suddenly took in a deep breath, stretching as his eyes blinked open.

“Good morning,” he said, covering his mouth as he yawned.

“Good morning,” Phil replied softly, memories of the night flashing back into his mind.

They were good memories. Every single second was a good memory.

Dan’s arm rubbed up and down Phil’s back a few times. Phil sunk into the touch, laying his head back down on Dan’s chest.

They were quiet for a while. Phil would have thought Dan had fallen back asleep if it weren’t for the fact he was still gently running his fingers over Phil’s back.

The quiet started out nice, but then it just became a way for Phil to overthink everything.

What if they moved too fast? 

What if this was a mistake? 

What if Dan regretted it? 

What if they couldn’t work together anymore? 

What if everything was ruined?

“I guess,” Dan said, pulling Phil out of his thoughts. “Um, I guess we don’t have to argue about who takes the bed anymore, do we?” 

Phil laughed, all of the stupid questions leaving his mind. “No, I guess not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments on the last chapter! And for coming to my tumblr and talking to me! I get so excited with each new message :)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Make sure to let me know!
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	13. Chapter 13

“This pizza isn’t great,” Dan said, reaching over to the coffee table and grabbing another slice.

“It’s been in my freezer for three months.”

“Gross.”

“Stop eating it if you don’t like it,” Phil suggested.

“I’m hungry.”

“I have other food.”

“Nothing good,” Dan complained.

“You’re so whiny.”

“We should have ordered out.”

“Dan, the majority of places are out of power. The ones that aren’t, just got their power back on. Their food is probably much more disgusting than mine.”

“There’s got to be one place open.”

Phil rolled his eyes. “Would you like me to call around and order something for you, Daniel?”

Dan smiled. “No, Philip, but thanks for asking.”

Phil turned, stretching his legs out on the couch. They reached Dan’s thigh, so he took the opportunity to poke him with his toes.

“What are you doing?” Dan asked.

“Annoying you. Is it working?”

“Yes,” Dan replied, taking his last bite of pizza. “Would you like to stop?”

“Nope.”

Dan placed his plate on the coffee table, then leaned back into the couch. He was ignoring Phil, staring at the TV instead.

Phil poked a few more times.

Dan broke. “I thought I was the annoying one?” He asked, glaring over at Phil.

“I can be plenty annoying, I just usually choose not to be.”

“Oh please!” Dan reached over and began tickling Phil’s foot, causing Phil to jerk his feet back. “Okay, okay! Don’t do that!” He laughed.

“Oh, is Philly ticklish?” Dan asked with an evil grin. He got up and plopped himself down over Phil’s lap, his hands coming down at Phil’s sides before Phil could do anything to stop it.

Phil was cackling now, laughing more than he had in a long time. “Stop it!” He exclaimed, wiggling around. 

After a few seconds, he brought a hand up to Dan’s side and started tickling him as well.

Dan laughed loudly, his body coming down over Phil’s as he stopped tickling him. “Okay, okay! I give up!” He yelled.

“That’s what you get for being annoying,” Phil replied, still smiling widely.

Dan brought his hands to Phil’s face, holding him in place as he gave him a kiss. “That’s what you get,” he replied.

“I need to be annoying more often then.”

Dan laughed, leaning in and kissing him again. It was longer this time, becoming deeper as each second passed.

“Dan?” Phil said, moving back from him slightly.

“Hmm?” 

“Do you… think we… should… take it slower?” He asked between kisses.

“What? The kissing?” Dan asked, looking confused. “You want me to kiss you slower?”

Phil smiled. “No. I mean, the other stuff…”

“Sex?” He questioned, sitting up straighter but staying on Phil’s lap. “Phil, if you can’t say the word than we definitely need to take it slower.”

Phil sighed. “Yes, I mean sex, Dan. We just… We haven’t even been on a date yet.”

“Do you want to wait until we’ve gone on a date?”

“Do you?” Phil asked.

“I’d actually be fine to just go to your bedroom right now and let you fuck me, but if you wanna wait, that’s fine.”

Phil’s heart sped up just hearing Dan say the words. “You know,” he said after thinking for a second. “I don’t go out very much, so this pizza and TV could technically count as a date for me.”

Dan nodded. “Sounds good,” he said, moving off of Phil and standing up. “To your room?” He asked, reaching out a hand.

Phil took it and stood up. “Lead the way.”

 

When they went to work the next night, Dan headed back to talk to the people in his department while Phil walked to his desk.

The second he sat down, Mark was there, in front of his desk.

“Where’d you come from?!” Phil asked, looking around. He hadn’t even seen Mark before that moment.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” he replied, walking over to his own desk. He brought his chair over and sat down. “So?”

Phil was confused. “What?” 

“Don’t ‘what’ me! What the hell is going on with you and Dan? Did I do it? Did I bring you two together?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Phil replied, turning away from Mark and picking up some papers on his desk.

“You’re avoiding eye contact!” Mark exclaimed. “You got the D, didn’t you?”

“You know I could report you to HR, right?”

“Yeah, I’m so worried. Now stop avoiding the conversation and tell me everything!”

“There’s nothing to tell!”

“Like hell there isn’t! Dan’s car hasn’t left the parking lot in days, yet Dan hasn’t been here. Explain that to me.”

Phil took a deep breath. “He was nervous to go check on his house, so I went with him.”

“That took three days?”

“There’s a busted out window, so…” His voice drifted off.

“So?”

“So he’s staying with me,” Phil finished.

“Yes!” Mark exclaimed. “I knew it! I saw it upstairs. I  knew I was interrupting something, and-”

“Him staying with me doesn’t mean anything, Mark,” Phil interrupted. 

“Yeah, but you’ve had sex. I can smell it.”

“You cannot.”

“Can so.”

“Yeah, right.”

“You haven’t denied that I’m right,” Mark replied, pointing at Phil. “So I’m obviously right.”

Phil picked up his phone and dialed a number, then waited.

“What are you doing?” Mark asked.

Phil ignored him, waiting for someone to pick up. “Yes, hello,” he said once there was an answer. “Could I speak to Mary in HR, please?”

Mark rolled his eyes, reaching over and disconnecting the call. “Fine,” he said, standing up. “If you won’t speak to me, I’ll speak to Dan.”

“Dan won’t talk to you,” Phil replied.

“Yes he will. We talk all the time.”

“You do not!”

“Yes, we do!” Mark said, nodding. “What do you think I’m doing when I’m not out in the field or talking to you?”

“Uh, your work?”

Mark laughed. “Oh, please. I’ll just go find him. Bye, Phil!”

Before Phil could say another word, Mark was gone, leaving him to wonder what he and Dan would discuss.

 

Three more days passed of Dan staying with Phil.

Since they had the same schedule, they would go home together each morning.

They’d shower, then get into bed, sleeping for hours until half the day had passed.

Once they had woken up and eaten something, they’d spend some more time in bed, except they wouldn’t be sleeping this time.

They’d watch TV, play video games, and sometimes just sit silently on their computers.

They’d get ready for work at the same time, each coming in and out of the bathroom. Somehow, they never really got in each other’s way. They worked around one another perfectly, although Phil would never say it outloud. It was too cheesy for him to admit, even though he loved it.

He enjoyed having Dan around. He enjoyed not going home to an empty house. He liked Dan sleeping next to him, cuddling with him. 

They both seemed to enjoy physical touch when they slept. Arms wrapped around each other, one resting a head on the other’s chest. 

Phil didn’t think he’d enjoy that so much, but he did.

Dan was still annoying. He irritated Phil every single day. But, Phil found that he kind of liked it.

He’d never admit that either. Ever. But it seemed to be a turn on for him. More often than not, their banter would lead to sex, and Phil definitely wasn’t complaining about it.

“That was my landlord,” Dan said, coming back into the living room and bringing Phil out of his thoughts.

“What did he say?”

“The place is all fixed,” Dan replied. “The window’s new, the carpet’s been cleaned, all the glass and branches are gone. The power has come back on as well.”

“Oh,” Phil replied. “That’s great. That’s really great,” he said, but he wasn’t smiling. And Dan wasn’t either.

“Yeah,” Dan said, nodding. He looked over at Phil and gave him a small smile. “I guess I should get my stuff together and go home.”

Phil nodded, looking down at the hem of his shirt and playing with a loose thread. “Yeah, um, I guess,” he replied.

After a few seconds, he looked up to see Dan staring down at the ground, biting at his lip.

“Or,” Phil continued. “I mean, if you want, you can… you can stay. I mean, we have work tonight anyway, and then we’re off again. I- I’d like it if you were here.”

“Really?” Dan asked, looking over at him. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

Dan looked away again, but Phil could see the blush rising on his cheeks. “Okay,” he replied. “Okay, I’ll stay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've recently had a few people asking me if Mark is based on Markiplier, so I feel like I should state that he isn't lol! It's perfectly fine if you'd like to imagine them as the same person, but that's not my intention.
> 
> Thank you so much for the amazing comments! I've got another fic I just started, called A Year in the Life, so if you'd like, go and check that out!
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	14. Chapter 14

Dan stayed with Phil for a couple more days, but then he did have to go home to get new clothes and clean out his fridge.

It took Phil approximately five minutes to start missing Dan, and another ten minutes before he gave in and texted him.

_ Phil: _

Did you get home alright?

_ Dan: _

Yes, Dad. Thanks for asking.

_ Phil: _

Please don’t call me dad after last night.

_ Dan: _

Don’t have a daddy kink, do we?

_ Phil: _

Doesn’t appear so.

_ Dan: _

That’s too bad… Daddy.

_ Phil: _

No. Nope. Definitely don’t.

_ Dan: _

Ha! Oh, ew!

_ Phil: _

What?

_ Dan: _

My cheese is all moldy. It smells like rotten fish.

_ Dan: _

It’s gooey too.

_ Phil: _

That’s disgusting.

_ Phil: _

I mean, the fact that you even have cheese is disgusting.

_ Phil: _

Cheese is disgusting.

_ Dan: _

What’s cheese ever done to you?

_ Phil: _

Horrifying things, Dan. You wouldn’t understand.

_Dan:_

Oh dear. I hope you recover one day and realize it’s delicious.

_ Phil: _

Never.

_ Dan: _

My milk is basically one giant curd. I can’t even get it to go down the sink.

_ Dan: _

This stinks, Phil.

_ Dan: _

Like, literally stinks. I have meat in the freezer and I’m scared to even open the door.

_ Dan: _

I’m fucking gagging.

_ Phil: _

Just come back here when you’re done until the place airs out.

_ Dan: _

Phil Lester, you’re just trying to get me back in bed, aren’t you?

_ Phil: _

No!

_ Phil: _

Maybe

_ Phil: _

Is that a bad thing?

_ Dan: _

Not with you, it isn’t. However, this time I require dinner first. One that’s out of the house. 

_ Dan: _

And a movie. I’ll pay for the movie and you can do dinner.

_ Phil: _

Okay, deal. Does that mean you’ll come here once you’re done?

_Dan:_

So needy.

_ Dan: _

But, yes.

_ Dan: _

Only because I’ll die if I stay here.

_ Phil: _

Can’t have that. 

_ Dan: _

You know, if you’d stop texting me, I’d be able to finish a lot faster.

_ Phil: _

I’m taping my fingers up to prevent texting now.

_ Dan: _

Kinky

_ Phil: _

No.

 

Phil found that Dan was usually at his house, or he was at Dan’s. 

They never ran out of things to talk about, or things to do. 

Phil just enjoyed being with Dan. It didn’t drain him the way it did when he hung out with other people.

Sometimes, they’d just sit for hours on their phones, never talking, at the opposite ends of the couch. Their legs would tangle together at the center of the couch, and besides the occasional foot rubbing against a shin, they wouldn’t even move.

There was a comfort in the silence that Phil didn’t think was possible. He knew he could start up a conversation at any time, on any topic, and they’d be able to discuss it for hours.

He also knew that he never needed to do that. Silence was okay. Sometimes it was perfect.

 

Dan could still be obnoxious. He’d still make annoying remarks at work, giving Phil a side glance as he did so.

At one point, he somehow fit Phil’s distaste for flower-scented candles perfectly into a discussion on the Kardashians without anyone ever knowing it was even the slightest diss toward Phil.

But, there was something interesting about the nights Dan got on Phil’s nerves.

It seemed, the redder Phil’s face got and the more irritated he became, the more he wanted Dan to come home with him when their shift was over.

Which is how they got to where they are now. Dan curled into Phil’s side, both of them still catching their breath, calming down from early morning sex before sleeping for the day.

“You’ve always done it on purpose, haven’t you?” Phil asked, his hand gently rubbing up and down Dan’s back.

“Done what?”

“Did you always know it was a turn on for me or something? Like, before I even did?”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Dan asked, laughing lightly.

“When you say stuff to annoy me, at work.”

“Oh! Well, I mean… I didn’t at first. You were just cute and you looked so nervous even though it was  _ my _ first day, so I thought I’d be an annoying little shit-”

“You succeeded.”

Dan poked Phil’s side. “But then, I’d see the way your face would heat up. And your face gets so cute when you’re bothered, so I just kept doing it. The fact it turns you on is just a bonus for me.”

“You’re such a jerk,” Phil replied, placing a kiss on Dan’s forehead.

“Aw! Thank you.” Dan yawned, snuggling even closer to Phil, his arm wrapped tight around Phil’s waist. “G’night.”

Phil lifted the covers up to their shoulders, then stared over at Dan as he drifted off to sleep. “Goodnight.”

 

A month passed by, and Phil found himself somehow feeling happier every day.

He and Dan went out on movie and dinner dates each week, sometimes twice. Phil loved it, even when the food was terrible or the movie sucked.

He loved to see Dan’s face when he woke up in the morning. 

He loved to see Dan grumbling in his kitchen, drowsy and complaining about the coffee or food options.

He loved to see Dan sitting across from him on the couch, watching an anime, or wildly discussing why he can’t stand American politics.

He loved to see Dan at work, going over recent entertainment news stories, choosing what to discuss during his segment.

He loved to see Dan’s smile. His dimples looked endless and his nose would scrunch up in the most adorable way.

He loved to hear Dan’s laugh. It was big, and loud, and sometimes it made Phil jump cause he wouldn’t be expecting it. But, he loved it. 

He loved kissing Dan, touching him. He loved the way their bodies moved together. He loved how their hands fit together so perfectly, and he didn’t care how cheesy the thought was.

He loved Dan’s sassiness, and his ability to deliver the quickest comeback to anyone without having to think about it.

He loved getting to see Dan’s softer side. Getting to hear the things that made him feel vulnerable. Getting to listen while Dan talked about dropping out of college, and how he sometimes has moments where he can’t function properly. He has moments where he wonders what’s the point of him existing? And, while Phil hates that Dan thinks that, he loves that they can talk about it.

He loved that Dan cries during movies, because he cries during them too and it’s nice to be able to cry with someone else.

He loved everything about Dan.

He loved… Dan.

He loved Dan.

Phil brought himself out of his thoughts, looking around the newsroom and making sure no one had been staring at him while he was busy doing nothing.

When he looked back, he saw Mark walking over to his desk. Once Mark was sitting down, Phil rolled himself over to Mark.

“Hey,” he said, getting Mark’s attention.

“Oh, hey! I didn’t even notice you roll over!” He said, quickly typing on his computer. “I’ve got a big story for tonight and I want to get everything written down before I forget it, so- Wait! Why are you rolling over to my desk?” He asked, stopping his typing and staring at Phil. “You never roll over to my desk.”

“I just, um… I just wanted to say that I’m ready.”

“Ready? For what?”

“For you to say it,” Phil replied.

“Say what?” Mark asked, clearly confused.

“I told you so.”

“What did you tell- No!” Mark gasped, standing up. “You mean, you’re ready? I can say it?!”

Phil laughed. “Yes, you can.”

“Fuck, yeah!” Mark yelled, pulling Phil up into a hug. “I fucking told you so, you asshole!” He exclaimed.

Phil patted his back. “People are staring, Mark.”

“I don’t care.” Mark pulled back from the hug, holding onto Phil’s shoulders. “It’s love, I can tell. You don’t even have to tell me. You do have to tell him though. I’m so excited, Phil! I mean it. I don’t care if I never have sex again, because you’re having sex and it’s love sex. Is that different? Does it feel tingly? The tinglies I’ve felt have never been good, but I’m sure yours is good tingly. My God, I feel like Cupid right now. I can’t help but feel like I played some role in this. I can’t wait to be best man at the wedding. But will I be yours or Dan’s? Cause I talk to him too, like I said. But, I’ve known you longer and-”

“Please, please,” Phil interrupted. “I said you could say ‘I told you so,’ I did not agree to anything else that’s been said since.”

Mark took a deep breath, letting go of Phil’s shoulders. “Okay, okay. Now, let’s sit and discuss this like men.”

“You have to finish your story for tonight.”

“Fuck the story! Someone died, it happens. This is more important.”

Phil rolled his eyes. “Finish the story, Mark. We can talk about it later.”

“We can? You’ll actually talk to me about it?”

Phil nodded. “Yes, I will. I promise. I know this is a big moment for you.”

“It really, really is.”

Phil smiled, taking his chair and rolling it back to his desk. He enjoyed seeing Mark so excited. While he didn’t expect, or want, that exact reaction from Dan, he did hope that telling him “I love you” would be as positive of an experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was trying to write the next chapter to A Year in the Life, but this got stuck in my head so I had to write it out. Hope you enjoyed.
> 
> Let me know what you thought of the chapter! Thank you for all the kind messages on here and tumblr!
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	15. Chapter 15

“Open your mouth.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Just open it!”

“No, that’s weird!”

“Dan, please!” Phil begged, pouting his bottom lip.

Dan rolled his eyes, but opened his mouth. Not even a second later, a piece of popcorn was flying in his direction, missing his face entirely.

“What the fuck?” Dan laughed, his nose scrunching up the way Phil loved.

“I wanted to try and get a piece in your mouth,” Phil whined.

“You failed, Goof.”

“Let me try again!”

“What if it lodges in my throat, Phil?”

“You really think I’ll be able to throw the popcorn hard enough to lodge it in your throat?”

Dan nodded. “True,” he said before opening his mouth wide again.

Phil threw another piece, and Dan tried to move in it’s general direction to catch it, but they both failed.

“You’re terrible at this,” Dan said.

“You try it and see how good you are then!”

“It wasn’t my idea!” Dan exclaimed, but picked up a piece and threw it at Phil anyway.

“Hey, I wasn’t ready!”

“Then get ready, Mate.”

Phil opened his mouth and Dan threw another piece, hitting him on the forehead.

“You missed!” Phil exclaimed.

“But did I really?”

“Wow! How rude,” Phil replied, placing his bowl of popcorn on the table and moving closer to Dan. He was kneeling on the couch, between Dan’s legs. He placed a hand on either side of Dan's face and leaned in for a kiss.

“Your lips taste buttery,” he said when he pulled away.

“Oh, talk dirty to me, Phil.”

Phil responded by giving him another kiss, and then another, and then one more. 

“Phil?” Dan said, slightly breathless.

“Hm?”

“Your elbow is in my popcorn.”

Phil looked down to see that his elbow was, in fact, in Dan’s popcorn. 

“We can switch bowls,” he said, backing away from Dan to grab his bowl.

He handed it to Dan, then took the elbow popcorn for himself.

“Now that I have your bowl, which has far more popcorn in it, I’d just like to say that I wouldn’t have minded eating the elbow popcorn.”

Phil glared at him. “You’re cruel.”

Dan shrugged, smirking. “You like it.”

 

“Why haven’t you told him?” Mark asked. It was three o’clock in the morning, and Phil had been trying to track a line of storms that were coming in.

“Mark.”

“Don’t ‘Mark’ me! It’s been two weeks since you allowed me my day of victory, but I’m still the only one who knows you love Dan.”

“How would you know that?”

“Dan would’ve told me. I told you, Phil, we talk. Why don’t you listen to me?”

“Sorry, Mark,” Phil said with a sigh. “I forget you two talk about things.”

“That doesn’t matter right now. What matters is that you’re not being honest with him.”

“You once told a girl you were a full blooded italian with the last name Moretti.”

“What’s your point?”

“Your maternal grandparents came from Libya.”

“My problems with honesty have nothing to do with this, Phil,” Mark explained. “You’re just trying to get me to change the subject and it won’t work.”

Phil leaned back in his chair, knowing he wouldn’t be able to get anything done until he talked to Mark. “I’m worried,” he admitted.

“About?”

“About it being too soon.”

“It’s never too soon to be in love!”

Phil gave Mark a pointed look. “I’ll never say it was okay for you to tell your one night stand that you loved her as she was having sex with you.”

Mark groaned. “It felt like love at the time, Phil! But you and Dan aren’t a one night stand. You’ve been going out for almost two months, you’ve known each other for a while before that-”

“I hated him.”

“You did not,” Mark replied. “You were irritated by him, but also slightly horny.”

“Mark!”

“What? I know your horny look!”

“Please, shut up now.”

“Okay, okay. Just, tell him, okay? You’ll feel so much better once you do.”

“What if he doesn’t say it back.”

“He’ll say it back.”

“You don’t know that.”

Mark rolled his eyes. “People really don’t listen to me. I’m not just a pretty face, you know?”

“Yes, I know, Mark. Are we done now?”

“For now. Tell him though! Or I will!”

“Mark,” Phil called out as he walked away. “Mark, don’t do it! Mark!”

 

Every time Phil tried to tell Dan, he’d end up chickening out. After about five tries, he actually thought about calling Mark and having him do it.

He decided against that though.

It was actually making him distant with Dan. He was quieter around him, closed off. Dan would be talking to him, and he’d phase out, daydreaming about having the courage to actually say what he wanted.

After the sixth story Dan told that went unheard by Phil, he became upset.

“Are you even on this planet, Phil?” Dan asked, snapping in Phil’s direction. They had gone out for ice cream and were now walking downtown, but Phil had felt miles away.

“What? Oh, I’m sorry, were you saying something?”

Dan sighed. “Yes, I was, but you didn’t listen to a word of it. You haven’t been listening to much lately.”

“I’m sorry, Dan. I’ve just been distracted.”

“Yeah, and you won’t tell me anything about it.”

“Dan-”

“No, Phil, I thought we were best friends.  I thought we were like a real couple or something, but I guess I was being an idiot.”

“Dan, we are best friends.”

“Best friends talk to each other, Phil. You’ve been so distant, and you never listen to me when I try to tell you things. My parents are coming here in a  _ month _ , Phil, and I’m so fucking nervous because I’ve always been a fuck up and I wanted to show them I’m not anymore. I’ve been trying to talk to you about that and all I get are grunts in return!”

Phil stopped walking, taking a hold of Dan’s arm so he’d stop as well. “I’m really, really sorry, Dan. I mean it.”

“Then tell me what’s been bothering you.”

Phil looked away from Dan, his nerves taking over him again. 

Dan sighed. “That’s what I thought. I’m just going to get a cab home or something, Phil. I’ll see you.”

“Dan, please, can’t we just talk about this?”

“You  _ won’t _ talk, Phil! That’s the problem.”

“We- We’ve never fought before,” Phil said, feeling like he was near tears.

“I guess we can’t say that now,” Dan replied before walking off and leaving Phil alone.

 

Two days passed with Phil not hearing a word from Dan. He had tried to text him, but everything sounded stupid and like he was making excuses. 

Phil was at work, trying to focus on everything he needed to get done before he went on air. He had also been avoiding eye contact with anyone, fearing that he’d look directly into Dan’s eyes and he’d have no idea what to say.

It seemed his worries were brought directly to him, however, when Mark headed toward his desk, hand in hand with Dan, basically dragging him into the room.

“Philip Lester!” Mark yelled, and Phil had never felt more like a child in his life. “You get your butt up right now and come with me.”

“Mark-”

“No! Now, Phil.”

Mark continued pulling Dan toward the door to the staircase. As Phil got up, he met eyes with Dan for a brief moment, noting the confused expression on his face.

He followed Mark and Dan upstairs and into the empty conference room.

“This is not good for my stress,” Mark said, letting go of Dan’s hand once they were all inside the room. He turned toward Phil. “I told you to be honest a long time ago and you didn’t listen to me.” He then turned to Dan. “And I told you to do the same. For some reason, you’re both being idiots and ignoring my advice. Now get yourselves the fuck together and talk to each other before I have a heart attack.” He headed for the door, turning back to them both before he left. “And I swear to God that if you two leave this room without saying everything you’ve both said to me, I will take you down.”

“Phil might be into that,” Dan mumbled.

Phil glared at him. “Dan!”

“No!” Mark exclaimed. “No arguing. Act like adults.” He swiftly opened the door and left, slamming it loudly behind him.

“You actually do talk to Mark?” Phil questioned. “I never believed him.”

“He doesn’t leave you alone unless you talk to him,” Dan replied, walking over to the window with his arms crossed. “He’s actually not a bad person to talk to.”

“Yeah... He’s pretty smart really.”

Phil joined Dan over by the window. They stared outside for a bit, letting silence fill the room.

“I really am sorry,” Phil said after a couple of minutes. “I’ve been thinking a lot, but I’ve been too nervous to tell you what about.”

“Are you breaking up with me or something?” Dan asked.

“What?” Phil asked, turning to Dan. “No! No, I mean, I don’t- I don’t want to break up. Do you want to break up?”

“Of course I don’t, Phil! I just don’t know what else to think when you suddenly stop talking to me!”

“I’ve…” Phil stopped, placing a hand on Dan’s arm so he’d look at him. Once Dan did, Phil continued. “I’ve been distant because I’ve been wanting to say something and I’ve been too scared to do it.”

“I’ve been wanting to say something too,” Dan admitted.

“Really?”

“Yeah… I wanted to awhile back, but then you started ignoring me or whatever so I thought maybe you wouldn’t want to hear it.”

“Is it the same thing I’ve been wanting to say?” Phil asked, his heart racing.

“I don't know, but probably!”

Phil took a deep breath, forcing his nerves to take a back seat. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Dan replied immediately. 

Phil moved forward, taking Dan’s face in his hands and kissing him hard. Dan’s arms found their way around Phil’s waist, holding onto him tight.

“We’re so stupid,” Dan said when they finally parted for air.

“So, so stupid,” Phil agreed. “But I love you anyway.”

Dan laughed, pulling Phil close for a hug. “I love you too, you idiot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think we've only got one more chapter to go! I'm going to miss this story when it's complete. I feel like I need to make a shrine for Mark lol!
> 
> Let me know what you thought of the chapter! Thank you all for your lovely comments.
> 
> tumblr: softgolftechniques


	16. Chapter 16

“That’s all for the weather at the moment. I’ll be back in a few minutes to give you more details on the rest of the week. Until then, here’s Dan Howell with your entertainment news. Dan, how are you tonight?”

“Well, Philip, I’m doing great, thank you. Lots to talk about though, so I won’t mention your very interesting tie.”

Phil was currently wearing a gray tie with little blue dots that were supposed to be raindrops. It didn’t really look like raindrops, however, as the drops were so close together that staring at it too long made your eyes cross.

“Thank you, Daniel,” Phil replied. “My mum got it for me."

He watched Dan physically straighten up, because he knew Phil often sent his mum tapes from each show.

“Right, well, it looks nice. In local entertainment news,” he continued, moving away from the topic, “A local, well-known public figure, who does not want to be named, is nearing his wedding date. However, the wedding may not happen due to his ridiculous desire to have white lilies at the event.”

Phil put his hands on his hips, shaking his head. “Unbelievable,” he said, forgetting his mic was on.

Dan glanced over at him, smirking. “What was that, Philip?” He asked.

A year and a half. That’s how long Phil had managed to stay quiet during Dan’s “subtle” remarks about him. And now he had to explain himself on live TV.

“ _Maybe,”_ he began, “he wants white lilies because white lilies are pretty, and they go with this well-known, public figure’s partner's ridiculous wedding color schemes.”

“Wanting everything white, black, and silver is not ridiculous, Phil.”

“It is when you don’t want the flowers to have green stems! Stems are green, Dan!”

“I don’t care if they _have_ green stems, I just want a silver covers  _over_ the stems!”

It was then that Phil remembered they were live, on camera, with news anchors and the crew staring at them.

“Are you… Are you two getting married?” Joanna asked, filling the awkward silence.

“Yes?” Phil answered slowly.

“Maybe,” Dan replied at the same time.

Phil rolled his eyes. “Dan, come on.”

Dan shrugged. “I’m just saying.”

“Wait! Wait! I was in the bathroom!” Mark yelled, running into the newsroom. “You’re getting married?!” He exclaimed, standing beside Dan and tugging on his shirt sleeve.

“Yes, we’re getting married,” Dan replied, smiling now.

“Oh. My. God!” Mark pulled Dan into a hug, waving Phil over to join them.

Phil was smiling now too, walking over to Mark and Dan. As soon as he got within arms reach of Mark, he was pulled into a tight hug.

“Well,” John said, pulling the attention away from the group. “It’s never a dull night at Southeast News. We’ll be right back after these messages from our sponsors.”

 

“I can’t believe it! When did you get engaged?” Mark asked. It was just past five in the morning, and they were all around Phil’s desk, getting ready to go home.

“Like, what? Two weeks ago?” Phil questioned, looking over at Dan.

“Yeah, about that time.”

Mark looked back and forth at them both. “You… You don’t know when you got engaged?”

“Well, we were just watching TV,” Phil explained, “And Dan was being really annoying-”

“No, _you_ were being annoying,” Dan interrupted. “‘They shouldn’t have put the furniture like that.’ ‘They should have extended that wall,’” Dan said, mocking Phil.

“Fine. _We_ were being annoying, but Dan was the one who kept talking, so I asked if he’d marry me so he’d shut up.”

“And I said yes.”

“So now we’re preparing for a wedding,” Phil finished with a shrug.

Mark shook his head. “You two are so weird,” he said, “but I love you both so much,” he added, pulling them in for another hug.

“We love you too, Mark,” Dan replied, patting his back.

When the hug ended, Mark clapped his hands together. “Oh, I have to tell you something!”

“What?” Phil asked.

Mark moved closer to them, looking around to make sure no one was close by. “I’m a finalist for a war correspondent position in Iraq.”

Phil took in a deep breath, his mouth opening but no words coming out. He glanced over to see that Dan was having a similar reaction.

“Well?” Mark questioned, waiting for a response.

“I- I… Wow! That’s great, Mark!” Phil said, finding his voice.

“I know, right?! I’m so excited!”

“Iraq?” Dan asked. “I mean… Iraq? That’s like… That’s a lot.”

“I know, I know,” Mark replied, nodding. “But there are a lot of wonderful people there too, so it won’t be all bad.”

“Yeah, but you’ll be a war correspondent,” Dan said. “You won’t be in the nice parts with the wonderful people.”

Mark’s smile fell a bit. “You don’t think I should do it?”

“No!” Dan replied quickly. “No, I’m happy for you. I know that’s what you want. I just- we care about you,” he said, looking over at Phil.

“We just don’t want you to get hurt,” Phil finished.

Mark smiled again. “Thanks, guys. I’ll be careful though, I promise. I mean, this has been my dream forever, you know?”

Dan smiled. “Congratulations,” he said, patting Mark’s arm.

“Thanks. I mean, I don’t even know if got it yet, so I may be sticking around.”

“You’ll get it,” Phil replied. “You deserve it, so you’ll get it.”

“Yeah… And we’re having the wedding before you go! Even if it’s just a small pre-wedding. We want you to be the best man for both of us,” Dan said.

“Really?” Mark asked, his eyes lighting up.

“Yes, really,” Phil replied, nodding.

“I have so many plans to make! I have to do two bachelor parties! Two speeches to write! I need two tuxes!”

Phil laughed. “I think one tux will be fine.”

“You can never have too many tuxes, Phil. This will be a big day for me.”

“Right. Of course. What was I thinking?”

Suddenly, Mark reached out and grabbed Phil’s shoulders, stepping forward and giving him a kiss on the forehead. He let go and did the same to Dan.

“Okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I have to go before I start crying. I’ll see you guys tomorrow night.”

“Bye, Mark,” they both replied.

“Farewell, my beautiful lovers!” He called out before walking out the door.

"You think he knows what he's saying when he says it?" Phil asked.

"He probably knows exactly what he's saying, and that's _why_ he says it," Dan replied, turning to Phil. “Ready to go home?” He asked, holding out his hand for Phil to take.

Phil nodded, taking Dan’s hand and holding it tight. “Ready… You really don’t like the lilies?” He asked as they headed toward the door.

“Ugh, Phil!”

“They’re so pretty though!”

“We’ll have them at the pre-wedding then,” He said, sighing dramatically.

“Yes! Oh, I want red roses too!”

Dan groaned. “You’re so annoying!”

Phil smiled, leaning over and giving Dan a peck on the cheek. “You love it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sad! I'm going to miss Mark so much. I may end up having to do a side fic that focuses on him with Dan and Phil as side characters... What do you guys think? I have a little idea, but if you'd like it to end here, I'm okay with that!
> 
> Thank you for all the support on here and on tumblr. I wake up every day looking forward to what you guys write to me.
> 
> I'm working on two other stories right now. They're called A Year in the Life, and Piece by Piece. Check them out, if you'd like!
> 
> tumblr: softgolftehniques


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